Chaos Combination
by Cronosonic
Summary: What happens when a coincidence mucks up and combines multiple dimensions? Many things, good and bad...
1. Chapter 1

_**Chaos Combination**_

_**By Cronosonic**_

**_Author's Notes: _**I recently came up with an interesting concept, and decided to see if it would work. Okay, I have two other fanfics to work on. But still, I could not resist writing this up. I mean, I enjoy writing these stories. Anyway, I'll try to keep on a schedule, and try to do a bit of each fanfic each day. I hope… Enjoy!

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The Mario Brothers rushed over the bridge, towards Princess Peach's castle. They had just gotten word of Bowser kidnapping the princess, again.

"Luigi, I-a wish Bowser would stop-a kidnapping her! It is getting annoying!" Mario groaned, as the duo barged through the front door. Indeed, Bowser was laughing, as a tied up Peach was slung over his shoulder. In his right hand, was a familiar item…

"THE STAR ROD?"

Luigi shivered, and got ready to fight. "He-a stole it again…"

Bowser snapped, "THAT'S RIGHT! And I will destroy you both, this time!"

As the Mario Brothers got ready to fight, Bowser held the rod up high, and smiled, as it glowed…

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Little did they know, was that in another dimension, a similar event was taking place. And it happened to be on an island, floating in the sky…

Sonic the hedgehog rushed up the stairs of the Master Emerald shrine. He cursed, as he got to the top, and found that his archenemy had got to it first. Dr. Eggman, in his Egg-O-Matic, was laughing in his own sinister fashion. Tied up to the side of the machine, was Amy Rose, attempting to get free, with no success. "SONIC! HELP ME!"

Sonic growled, as he looked at the machine's claw, which had the Master Emerald in its grasp. "This isn't good… Amy's captured, Tails and Knuckles are taking care of the other robots…"

A cannon came out of the side opposite to where Amy was, and aimed at Sonic. "This time, Sonic, you're mine! This little weapon draws power from the Master Emerald! And you'll be history, as soon as it fires!"

The cannon began to charge up, and Sonic tried to think of a way to solve his new problem…

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Both items were being used at the same time. And thing is, it would cause some potential problems. In all probability, it would utterly smeg up space-time.

Every dimension has its own unique type of energy. And when two objects with an incredible amount of their respective dimensions unique energy is used at the same time, things can go wrong. Horribly wrong.

Well, it wasn't as bad as it would have been. However, one of the consequences were, was nobody would know what the hell went wrong. And the effects would affect more than two dimensions.

What were the results? Multiple dimensions combining, and creating a planet so big, it wasn't funny. And it would turn the tides of the two battles around, in the favor of the heroes.

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Bowser lay flat on the floor, contemplating what happened. The Star Rod, for some reason, apparently exploded. And it had suddenly reformed again, and fell into the hands of Mario and Luigi. The brothers were taking no notice of the reptile's groaning, instead helping Peach to her feet. Bowser got up, and rushed over to his Koopa Clown Car, and flew off, knowing that it was going to be a long day.

The same was for Eggman, who was lying on his back, near the Master Emerald shrine. He was wondering why his machine exploded, with the emerald intact. "Intriguing…" He said, as he got up, and snuck away, as Sonic and friends were celebrating their victory.

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"This can't be right!"

Eggman sat at a large computer screen, showing a map of the planet, pieced together by satellite photos.

"The Earth seems to be bigger than normal. Many times bigger! And with new continents… Incredible! Could it have been the Master Emerald?"

He spun his chair around, stroking his moustache. He pushed a button, and pictures of new locations appeared. "Very interesting. Places that are not of this world! And my computer's databanks have been updated for no reason at all! Makes things easier. The Mushroom Kingdom… Populated by mushroom creatures. Oh, what's this?"

A large photo of a high-tech fortress appeared on the screen. It had a large skull symbol on the front, with writing below it. "A fortress, built by the mad scientist, Dr. Wily… Has tried to take over the world several times, using robots. Every time, he has been thwarted by his former partner's creation, Mega Man. A fellow evil genius like me! It can't get any better than this!"

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"It can't get any worse than this…"

Bowser sighed, as he sat on his throne, in Koopa Castle. "Why me…"

"SIR!"

Kammy Koopa, an old Magikoopa, flew in on her broom into the room. She seemed to have urgent news.

"Yes, Kammy, what is it?"

"I have information, that our world seemed to have grown bigger in size! And there are new lands, new-"

"I get the point. You think this is a result of what happened with the Star Rod?"

Kammy shook her head. "I don't know, sir-"

Kammy reeled, as Bowser suddenly jumped into his Clown Car. "WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? Let's explore!"

"That's the most intelligent thing I've heard all day, sire!"

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Dr. Wily sat at his fortress' main computer, wearing his lab coat. Right next to him, was his most powerful creation, Bass. Bass raised an eyebrow, looking at the screen. "Who is this 'Dr. Eggman'?"

"Apparently, he is a genius, just as evil as I! According to the files, he has an IQ of 300! Time to speak with him!"

Wily pressed a button, and Eggman's face appeared on the screen. "I assume this is Dr. Wily, I am speaking to?"

"You assume correct, Eggman! This is my greatest creation, Bass!"

Bass grunted, and rolled his eyes. "And don't forget I'm not proud of being YOUR creation."

Eggman then took the chance to make a proposition. "How about we work together, exchange knowledge, like fellow scientists? You have your Mega Man problem; I have a problem with a pesky hedgehog! We can destroy them both! What do you say?"

Wily stroked his chain, grinning like a maniac. "I don't see no harm in that! It's a deal!"

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Amy Rose stared at a single television screen in a shop window, which showed a news broadcast.

"The Earth appears to have increased in size, continents have appeared, and even the countries we know have changed! Scientists are baffled as to how this could have happened."

Tails 'Miles' Prower walked up to Amy. "As far as I know, it's no joke. It's confusing!"

Amy nodded, then blinked, when she saw a man with brown hair, wearing a white gi, a black belt, and a red headband coming towards them.

"Excuse me, may I ask where I can find a place to stay for the night?"

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Sonic the Hedgehog stood on the edge of a nearby beach, looking into the distance. "This day has been very strange… Eggman's machine exploding, the planet getting bigger…"

Then he noticed a wooden boat in the distance, which seemed to be powered by a motor. A lone figure seemed to be driving it. As the boat came close, Sonic could see what the figure looked like. The figure was no larger than Sonic himself. He seemed to have no limbs, and no neck. He had yellow hair, and a big nose. His torso was purple, with a white ring on the front, and he wore a red scarf. His hands were simply gloves, and his shoes were yellow and white. When the boat touched the shore, the limbless man got out of the boat.

"Well, this is slightly different…"

The man spotted Sonic, and started running over to him. "Hey! Can I assume you live around here?"

Sonic pulled a grin, as he scanned the man's figure. "You could say that. Are you from one of those other continents?"

The man nodded, as he brushed his hair back. "Yeah. My name is Rayman. I hail from the 'Glade Of Dreams'. What's your name?"

Sonic nodded. "It's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog! Want me to show you around, Rayman? I bet you can't catch up with me!"

Before Rayman could reply, Sonic had raced off. Rayman quickly went back to the boat, and pulled out what appeared to be a bombshell with legs. He got on top of it, and the shell suddenly started running at high speed.

"YAHOO!"

Rayman surprisingly caught up with Sonic, who was actually keeping at minimal speed in order to help Rayman catch up. Sonic blinked, as soon as he saw Rayman riding the shell. "Are you sure that's safe?"

"Yeah! I ride these things all the time!"

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Link stood at the front of the ship, looking into the horizon. He had never gone on a sea voyage, and it was already boring him already. But he had to endure the voyage. Gannondorf had somehow managed to escape from the Sacred Land (Unknowing to him, this was one of the consequences of a very recent event), kidnapped Princess Zelda, and fled Hyrule via the ocean. Of course, the King of Hyrule had wasted not a single second to prepare for a pursuit, and getting a ship with the finest sailors in Hyrule Docks so quickly was very remarkable. Link barely even had the time to gather his equipment!

Link noticed that the ship's captain, and old man with an eye patch, had joined him. The captain rested his arms on the side of the ship. "Aye, this is your first time on a voyage?"

Link slowly nodded, as he sighed. "Yes. I don't care what I have to do, as long as I can get Zelda back."

"Yes… And slay that wretched man. Then again, death is too good for him! I never thought I would be working on the King's personal ship! It is magnificent, and the enchantments will get us to our destination in no time!"

Link nodded, and heard the voice of the sailor at the crow's nest.

"LAND AHOY!"

Link could clearly see the continent ahead. "Well, there's no turning back now."

Soon enough, the ship docked at the nearest port. Link went down the ramp, onto dry land. His horse slowly followed him. Link looked back up at the captain. "I'll try to find a place to stay. You stay here, and guard the ship."

The captain nodded, and Link walked off, his horse in tow. He looked around, as he walked down the footpath on the right side of the road. People were constantly glancing at him. He had never been to such a strange place.

On the other side of the road, Tails and Amy were talking with the stranger they had just met, who's name, as they learned, was Ryu.

Tails nodded, and asked, "So, why exactly do you travel the world?"

Ryu looked into the sky. "I want to find a worthy opponent, someone strong enough to be a challenge…"

Then he noticed Link, on the other side. "Strange… I have never seen someone like him before."

Tails and Amy looked, and nodded in agreement. The trio carefully crossed the road, over to Link, who was looking around, and gripping his horse's rein.

"Excuse me!"

Link stared at Ryu, who continued. "What is your name?"

"Link. I hail from another land, known as Hyrule."

Tails smiled, when he heard Link's words. "Oh, I guess that explains his appearance…"

Ryu nodded, and smiled. "My name is Ryu. These two are Amy and Tails, who I have just been acquainted with."

"I need to find a place to stay. I am trying to track down a great evil, named Gannondorf, who has kidnapped the princess of Hyrule."

"I guess you are in the same position as me."

Amy then spoke up. "I know! There's a good hotel not too far from here!"

Link then sighed. "But I doubt I could actually pay for the accommodation. Rupees would probably be useless here."

"Don't worry, I'll pay for it!"

Link then blinked, and smiled. "You will? Thank you, Amy."

Amy blushed. "Hey, no problem!"

Nearby, a figure hid in a dark alley. The figure leaped out of his hiding place, right above the unsuspecting group. The instant he appeared, his identity was revealed, as Shadow Man, one of Dr. Wily's Robot Masters. He readied a shuriken as he fell in order to strike, but he never got the chance, as he was hit by a bombshell.

Ryu, Tails, Amy and Link looked up, as Shadow Man was hit, and he sprawled onto the road, stopping cars. He got up, and stared at the two new arrivals, namely Sonic and Rayman.

Sonic grinned, as he got ready to fight. "Hey! Mess with my friends, and you mess with me!"

Rayman readied a 'fist', (Which looked like a ball of energy) as Sonic went into a Sonic Spin attack, going straight towards Shadow Man. The ninja easily dodged, but the charged fist from Rayman hit him. Shadow Man threw shurikens at Rayman, who easily avoided them, thanks to the lack of limbs. Link quickly pulled out his bow, and fired several arrows at the ninja, half of them hitting their target. Shadow Man was quite damaged at this point, but was not ready to give up.

However, Ryu suddenly jumped in front of him, and threw and uppercut, which propelled his into the air, with extreme force.

"SHIN SHORYUKEN!"

This pretty much sent Shadow Man into orbit (Literally!). Sonic whistled, as the ninja disappeared from sight. "Now, that is one powerful punch!"

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Mario and Luigi got back to their house, only to see an incredible sight. Namely, Shadow Man shooting across the sky. Luigi rubbed his eyes.

"Mario? What is that?"

"I don't know, Weegi, but whoever hit that guy must be very strong…"

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Soon enough, Shadow Man crashed through the roof of Skull Fortress, much to Wily's surprise. He had landed in the very room where Wily was conversing to Eggman.

Eggman scratched his bald head in surprise. "I thought you said this robot was reliable!"

Bass instantly scoffed. "None of them are."

Shadow Man slowly got up. "Apparently, there's more to worry about than you suspected, Doctor. Along with the hedgehog and two of his friends, there was an elf-like human, who I noticed carried a lot of weapons. There was also a small 'man', with no limbs and no neck! And the one who hit me last, was a martial artist with a red headband…"

**_To Be Continued_**

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**_Author's Notes: _**Well, it's going well so far. Well, as far as I'm trying. Trust me, I can't write all the time, and there are times, which prevent me from doing so. I do have a life, you know. Still I'll try to update. Please, give C&C, I'd really appreciate it.


	2. Chapter 2: Test of the Past

_**Chapter 2: Test of the Past**_

Shadow the Hedgehog raced down a large beach, knowing that a Chaos Emerald was around here. Even the Ultimate Life Form couldn't run on water. (Or at least not for long periods.) He somehow got stranded on an island, which seemed quite strange. He could sense something powerful…

And he was heading towards it.

He could see a man further along the beach. He had red hair, wore prayer beads, and had a black gi. Shadow stopped a few metres away from the man, whom was practicing martial arts moves on a very large rock. "Excuse me."

The man took no notice of him, and raised his right fist into the air. He then slammed it straight into the ground, sending a massive wave of purple flames just a meter all around him. The rock was instantly destroyed, pieces of it flying everywhere. Shadow looked on, seemingly impressed. "I've never seen a human use an attack that powerful."

"Ah, you are impressed by my Kongou Kokuretsu Zan?"

The man turned to face Shadow, and stared into his eyes. "I can sense your power, hedgehog…"

"And I can sense yours. I am Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form!"

The man was silent for a few seconds, and then he spoke once more.

"I have never heard such a title. Are you deserving of it, hedgehog? I am Akuma, the Master of the Fist."

Shadow simply smiled. "The Master of the Fist, and the Master of Chaos. Both in one place."

"Then we shall fight to the death!"

Shadow's eyes widened, as soon as he heard what Akuma said, but before he could object, Akuma thrusted his hands in front of him, in a slightly cupped shape. A purple fireball was created, and sent towards Shadow, who jumped over it, and dashed over towards Akuma. But he blinked, as Akuma suddenly glided at him at incredible speed, and passed right through him.

"What the…"

He quickly turned around, and found that it was too late for him to avoid the full force of Akuma's Kongou Kokuretsu Zan, which was coming straight towards him…

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_Wake up, Shadow…_

Shadow soon awoke, to see nothing but darkness. He could see himself, however. "Where am I?"

He blinked, as he saw Akuma appear a few metres away from him. "You are in the heart of the island. The spirits here are willing to test you."

"Test me?"

"Indeed. Long ago, the inhabitants of this island would go through tests in this manner, for various reasons. I asked the spirits to test you, so I could see if you were truly powerful enough to stand against me. The spirits have chosen your test. Be warned, I will be in the test as well, trying to prevent you from passing. Here is a hint. You must protect someone you hold dear. That is all."

Akuma turned around, and walked into the darkness.

"AKUMA, WAIT!"

But he was gone, and Shadow quickly lost consciousness…

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"Gah… Where am I now?"

Shadow woke up, covered in sheets. He rubbed his eyes, and got out of what seemed to be a bed. He looked around, and recognized the room to be a bedroom, with a window with a view of Earth.

"This was my old room on the ARK…"

He looked out the window, and his eyes slowly widened, as he saw G.U.N. ships coming towards the ARK.

"CRAP. Must work fast! 'Protect someone you hold dear'… MARIA!"

He raced out of the room, as alarms went off. Scientists were starting to panic. Shadow looked around, and eventually saw Maria wearing her usual blue clothing, right outside her room.

"SHADOW! What's happening?"

"No time to explain, we have to get out of here!"

Shadow grabbed her arm, and starting running down the path he knew was closest to where the escape pod was. The pair ran down a long corridor, but quickly took as left, when G.U.N. soldiers suddenly appeared on the other side.

"This isn't how I remembered this…"

Shadow and Maria now ran down a 'bridge' that had a space view. But they stopped, when Laser Hunter robots with large plasma cannons suddenly appeared several metres away, on both sides of them. Shadow groaned, and concentrated. "CHAOS… CONTROL!" The pair then suddenly teleported to the other side of the bridge, via Chaos Control, and before the robots could turn around, the bridge collapsed, without warning.

Shadow looked ahead of him, and saw several soldiers arrive. Suddenly, they were all knocked out, by a familiar figure, namely Akuma, who had came out of nowhere. Maria asked Shadow, "Who is he?"

"Akuma… This is what he meant!"

"Who? How do you know him?"

Before Shadow could answer, Akuma faced towards them. "You have figured out your task, hedgehog. But can you protect her, from me?"

He glided towards Maria, but Shadow was quick to act, by pulling Maria out of the way, and tackling Akuma. Akuma shook him off, and dashed towards Maria once more, but Shadow picked her up, and raced away.

Getting past the obstacles was easy for Shadow, but once he arrived at the room where the capsule was, he put Maria down. But Akuma appeared from out of nowhere, and kicked Shadow straight into the capsule, as it closed. He then threw Maria right next to the controls of the escape capsule, and Maria wasted no time on trying to get the capsule up and running. Shadow was in shock.

"MARIA! What are you doing?"

"Please, Shadow… Promise me…"

"I WON'T LEAVE WITHOUT YOU!"

Akuma slowly glided towards Maria.

"Messatsu…"

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

Shadow appeared right in the path of Akuma, and was grabbed by him, and felt an incredible amount of pain, as his life flashed before his eyes.

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Shadow woke up on the same beach he was before. "Was… That a dream?"

But he blinked, as he saw the motionless figure nearby. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"MARIA!"

He got up, and raced over to her, and tried to wake her up. Maria groaned, and slowly opened her eyes. "Shadow? Is that you?"

"MARIA! It really is you…"

The pair exchanged a warm hug, as tears flowed from Shadow's eyes. But it was cut short, when Akuma walked up the beach. Shadow got ready to fight.

"You have passed the test, hedgehog. You have received your prize."

"You mean, Maria is alive again?"

"Indeed. You protected her with your own life. That is what the spirits deem worthy, but I have my doubts. I placed the Chaos Emerald I found on your person. You should leave, before I kill you."

Shadow nodded, as he turned around, to see Maria slowly getting up. He held Maria's hand, and smiled.

"I'll explain everything later, Maria."

The pair disappeared in a green flash. Akuma walked off, ready to continue his training…

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Bass stood at the top of Tails' workshop in the Mystic Ruins. "They'll come. And when they do, I'll show them my power!"

"Well, you'll have to show me your 'power' as well first, robot!"

Bass dived to the side, surprised, as a figure surrounded by fire landed where he once was. To his surprise, when the flames died down, he saw that it was a light purple female cat. "Who are you?"

"I am Blaze the Cat. Anything other than that is none of your concern!"

"Well, 'Blaze', how about I show you my flames? FIRE STORM!"

Bass' hand changed into a buster gun, and fired several large fireballs at Blaze, who easily deflected them with her own flames. "You really think you can beat me with the element I have mastered?"

Meanwhile, Sonic rushed up the stairs leading to the open area just next to where the stairs to Tails' workshop was situated. He blinked, as soon as he saw Blaze fighting Bass. "Blaze? She's here too?"

Tails came up behind him, smiling. Ryu also came up, and watched. "Interesting…"

Now Blaze and Bass were locked, gripping each other's hands, and trying to push each other back. "Time to bring this up a notch!"

"TREBLE BOOST!"

"SOL EMERALDS, GIVE ME YOUR POWER!"

In a flash, both fighters had changed. Blaze had changed to a light pink, and had fire stones around her wrists and ankles. Bass was completely purple, and had what appeared to be 'wings' coming out of back.

"Impressive. But it is you who will lose, Blaze! Victory is mine!"

Blaze suddenly threw Bass several metres away, and tossed a huge fireball at him. The resulting explosion sent Bass flying, and severely damaged him, and he quickly teleported away. Blaze reverted back to her normal form, and noticed Sonic and Tails cheering for her, but then, a humanoid robot, with blue battle armor and a helmet teleported into the middle of the scene, and looked around.

"Strange, I thought Bass was here…"

Sonic shrugged. "If you are talking about the guy with the head fins, he just retreated. Who are you?"

The robot blinked, and laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't introduce myself! I'm Mega Man! May I ask who you guys are?"

**_To Be Continued_**

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**_Author's Notes: _** Okay, it might be a little rushed, but I did it in two days. Still, I wanted to put Blaze the Cat in there; she's one of my fave Sonic characters! (Sonic Rush is one of the best Sonic games of all time! If you haven't got a DS, get one. Now.)

I had the idea of Shadow vs. Akuma a while ago, I just reckoned that Akuma would kick Shadow's arse, if he was underestimated. Not to mention the revival of Maria. Crazy, eh? You'll be seeing more of Akuma later in the story.

Well, I've got plenty of things planned out. And I will get on to finishing the next chapter of DC: A, as soon as I can. In the meantime, C&C would be much appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3: Better or Worse

_**Chapter 3: Better, or Worse**_

The group arrived back at Station Square, and was going to the hotel. Two different conversations were going on, the first being a conversation between Ryu and Blaze. Ryu nodded. "I see. You're the guardian of the Sol Emeralds. Must be a heavy burden, protecting items of such power."

Blaze sighed, walking along. "It is. Ever since I was given the duty, I shut myself out from my friends… I didn't want my feelings to get in the way of my duty. But when I met Sonic, and another friend of his… I realized my mistake."

"We all make mistakes, Blaze."

As well, Sonic and Tails was talking with Mega Man. Tails was quite into the conversation. "Dr. Light must be an incredible scientist! Not even Eggman could create such advanced robots!"

Mega Man sighed, as he pulled off his helmet, showing his brown hair. "Well, he had help. He once had an assistant named Dr. Wily. They both created me, and 7 other robots of the same type. But Wily became jealous, when Light got the credit for the research, and stole 6 of the robots. I had to be modified into a battle robot in order to combat them. Even today, Wily tries to conquer this world. And you could simply call me Rock."

Sonic gave Mega Man the thumbs up. "Hey, if this 'Wily' character tries to cause trouble, we can help you bring him down again!"

They soon got to the hotel, where Amy, Link and Rayman was waiting. Amy blinked, at seeing Blaze and Mega Man. "Blaze! I didn't expect you to be here! Wait, who's the blue boy?"

After a short round of introductions, Mega Man tapped a few buttons on his wrist, but something happened, that he did not intend to happen, which was two figures teleporting in, a meter away from him. The first was a red, robotic dog. The second was a blonde girl, wearing a red dress, with a ponytail with green ribbons. On closer inspection, she seemed to be a robot like Mega Man.

"Rock! Surprised you, didn't I?"

Mega Man smiled. "I didn't know you could teleport, Roll. I was just about to talk with Dr. Light."

Then he looked at everyone else. "Oh! Guys, this is Roll, my sister. And my dog, Rush."

Rush barked in a friendly manner. Roll giggled. "Hi! Nice to meet you!"

Everyone else introduced themselves, and a hologram appeared above Rush, showing the aged figure of Dr. Light, in his lab coat. "I see you've made some new friends, Mega Man! Greetings. My name is Dr. Light…"

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"Wily, I am impressed!"

Eggman scanned every detail of the hologram. It was a design of the new robot, which Wily had codenamed, 'Metal Sonic MK III'. It was practically a combination of Crash Man and Metal Sonic. It looked like a red hedgehog (And more like Sonic then its predecessors), rather than a humanoid, with armor that allowed for maximum flexibility. The hands could transform from normal hands to Crash Bomb launchers.

Eggman turned around, and looked Dr. Wily in the eyes. "I like your style! This design is formidable!"

Wily laughed, as he stepped forward. "I'm glad you liked it. The intended energy source is Bassinum, the same energy that powers Bass."

"Very well, but I want to run a test, on how Chaos reacts with Bassinum."

Soon enough, both scientists were in a special lab, behind glass, where a machine on the other side with two robotic arms held a Chaos Emerald, and a capsule containing Bassinum energy. As it happened, both energies were 'unique'. When both of the objects came close to each other, they seemed to glow brightly, and Wily then rubbed his eyes, as he looked at his computer.

"If I'm reading this right, the energy readings created from the reaction are off the charts! We could use this to our advantage!"

Eggman laughed, as he listened to Wily's report. "You're absolutely right, Albert. If we execute this correctly, this may work! We shall build Metal Sonic MK III!"

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After a quick round of introductions, again, Sonic noticed that Link was tense. "Link? Something wrong?"

"Yes. Unlike the rest of you, I'm here on a very important quest."

Everyone looked at Link, as Dr. Light smiled. "We can help you. What exactly is your mission?"

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Shadow and Maria appeared in a field, not far from Station Square. Shadow smiled, as he saw the city in the distance. "Well, at least I got the destination fairly accurate."

However, he heard the far-off sound of hoofs hitting the ground, and getting louder. He identified the source, which was a black horse in the distance, heading right towards them. The horse's rider seemed quite strange, as his appearance was not that of an ordinary human. A crystal hovered above him, with a young woman inside, with blonde hair, and a white royal gown, along with jewelry.

Shadow could sense the man's power from so far. It seemed… Evil. "That man seems strange. Such dark power…"

The horse stopped a meter away from Shadow and Maria. The rider stared at them, with a piercing stare. "I suggest you move. I have important business to take care of, somewhere else."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing with the girl?"

"That is none of your business!"

The woman in the crystal opened her eyes, and spoke weakly. "Please… Stop him, his intentions are dark ones…"

The man growled, as he looked at his hostage, then back at Shadow. "As she decided to open her mouth, I might as well tell you what I'm doing. I am Ganondorf, the king of evil. She is Princess Zelda. I hail from Hyrule, the land I intend to rule! Step aside, or I will have to do away with both of you."

Shadow smiled, as he stepped forward. "How about no. I've already faced an opponent with a powerful title! I am Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form! Prepare to lose!"

Ganondorf got off his horse, and held his hand in the air. "Very well. Don't say I did not warn you, Hedgehog!"

He threw a dark ball of energy at Shadow, who grabbed Maria, and teleported out of the way. Shadow put Maria down. "Stay here."

He rushed at Ganondorf, dodging several projectiles. He planted a kick to Ganondorf's head, and jumped up, then smashed the crystal that held Zelda, with a homing attack. Ganondorf's horse fled, as Zelda fell… And disappeared in a flash. She appeared right next to Maria. She was clearly quite weak. A voice spoke to Maria:

"She will be okay. Help will arrive."

Meanwhile, Shadow and his opponent were exchanging blows from their fists. Ganondorf then hit Shadow with a projectile that paralyzed him. "Shame. I am in a hurry, so I must kill you now."

However, Shadow closed his eyes, and started to glow red. Ganondorf could sense the power building up inside Shadow. "What the…"

"CHAOS…"

Shadow floated in the air, wanting to unleash the power that he was charging. "BLAST!"

The massive blast that Shadow unleashed hit Ganondorf incredibly hard. It sent him flying, and scorched him all over. A shield appeared, which protected Maria and Zelda. When the blast subsided, Ganondorf was lying on the ground, seemingly lifeless. It seemed the blast had killed him.

But the body rose into the air, and Ganondorf grinned, as he showed a glowing triangle on the black of his hand. "Impressive. But to kill the hold of the Triforce of Power, takes far more than that."

He started laughing, as Shadow's eyes widened. Suddenly, a figure came flying out of nowhere.

"EAT DANKUKYAKU, SUCKER!"

The figure was in fact, a human. He kicked Ganondorf in the head three times, sending the villain facedown in the dirt. Everyone there then recognized the figure, as having brown hair and a ponytail, and wearing a pink gi and a black belt. The man put his left foot forward, and then held his right fist in the air, with his palm facing over his right shoulder.

"YAHOO! I AM THE MAN, FOR I AM DAN!"

Maria noticed a female figure appear, sitting right next to her. The woman had purple hair, elf-like ears, and her torso and limbs were gold, with flowing purple patterns. She sweatdropped, as she saw Dan. "Well, when I said 'help was coming', I wasn't really referring to him."

Maria made a slight giggle. "I guess I know why."

Shadow, however, was staring in shock. This 'Dan' character had just kicked Ganondorf's kiester, with just three kicks, although it might have been that Ganondorf had been weakened enough to be beaten by the attack.

Ganondorf himself was merely grumbling in annoyance. "When I get you, I swear…"

Dan simply looked at his defeated opponent, and grinned. "I'm sorry… No, you are!"

Ganondorf wasn't amused. He used the last of his strength to teleport back to his horse, and rode off, cursing.

The heroes who were talking in station Square suddenly arrived. Sonic smiled, as he saw Shadow. "Hey, Shadow! Seen any kings of evil?"

"Actually, I just beat one. And this guy finished him off."

Dan gave everyone else the thumbs up, as Ryu sighed. "Why is Dan here?"

Mega Man looked at Ryu, surprised. "You know this guy, Ryu?"

"Yes. It's a long story, though…"

Link had rushed over to Zelda, and pulled out a red potion. "PRINCESS! Are you alright?"

He helped Zelda drink it, and it allowed Zelda to regain her strength. "Link? Is Ganondorf gone?"

"He fled. Thank the goddesses…"

Rayman rushed over to the purple-haired woman, smiling. "LY! I didn't expect you to follow me!"

"Rayman, I knew there was trouble where you were going."

Soon enough, everyone was acquainted. Everyone who knew who Maria was was surprised to see Maria, alive. When Shadow mentioned Akuma, Ryu suddenly became silent. Link was assured that Ganondorf had been weakened quite a lot, and he wouldn't be coming back any time soon. Everyone who had just arrived in Station Square was staying in the hotel, minus Mega Man, Roll and Rush. All was okay. But they didn't know that two scientists were working away at a new design…

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Eggman finished off on the robot's leg. He looked at the machine on the table, with great pride. Metal sonic MK III was half-finished. One more half, and the first of his robots that he would build with Dr. Wily would be finished. It was hard work, but he knew that without hard work, he couldn't have ever accomplished anything in his life.

Wily thought the same. This robot's capabilities could surpass that of Bass, possibly. Hopefully, Metal Sonic MK III wouldn't be as rebellious.

Bass watched from the door. "I'll be the first to test how powerful this new robot is…"

**_To Be Continued_**

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**_Author's Notes: _**At least I got that over and done with. Some would want to know this simple question - where did I get the inspiration for Metal Sonic MK III? Simple. I was looking in the site, 'Secrets of Sonic Team', looking at Sonic X-Treme concept artwork (If you don't know what Sonic X-Treme is, I don't blame you. It was a SEGA Saturn game that was canned.), and found an interesting (And awesome) piece of art, drawn by Chris Senn. The robot in the art was called 'Metal Sonic Mach 3', and it looked nothing like Sonic, but more like Crash Man from the Mega Man games.

Thus, that's where I got the inspiration. I was happy to bring Chris' creation 'to life'. Credit goes to this brilliant artist, and you should see his personal online 'scrapbook' ( I can't believe I forgot to add something in the first chapter saying something like, 'All All characters, (and everything else) is copyright their respected owners.' Well, I put it in here, but I might add it to the first chapter later, when I get off my lazy behind. So… C&C would be much appreciated, as I said before. Untill next update!


	4. Chapter 4: The New Machine

_**Chapter 4: The New Machine**_

Metal Sonic MK III slowly opened his eyes, noticing that his systems were online. He slowly got up, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He recognized that he was in a lab. And it was seemingly deserted. He couldn't see anyone. The door was open, so he figured he would find someone on the other side. As he walked through the door, the room in front burst with light, forcing him to shield his eyes for a second. He looked around, to see multiple stasis tubes, each holding a robot. Two of the tubes contained robotic hedgehogs, both not as advanced as him. One was silver, and quite large. The second was smaller, and looked far more advanced.

The other tubes held different designs. The first of these was a robotic echidna, which seemed quite powerful. The next was what seemed to be some sort of 'doll', of a two-tailed fox. Its look was a little creepy.

As Metal Sonic MK III walked forward, he stopped, as he saw the tubes slowly open. One by one, the designs came to life. The silver hedgehog robot was the first to act, changing into a spinning ball, the quills becoming a very sharp number of blades. It spun forward, straight at Metal Sonic MK III, whom dashed out of the way, and fired a Crash Bomb at it, striking it on the side, digging itself into the enemy. The silver robot could not remove the bomb, and quickly exploded.

The echidna robot was next. It dashed forward, trying to strike with its sharp knuckles. Metal Sonic MK III blocked it with his left drill, and drove the other into the robot's torso, and proceeded to tear it to pieces with the drill. Once he had finished, he looked at the Fox Doll, which was now wielding a machete.

The doll came at him, slashing away. But Metal Sonic MK III was too fast for the doll, and grabbed the blade, then turned it on his attacker, driving it straight into the stuffed head. But the doll was still moving, as it pulled the blade out, and tried to strike, with no luck, as Metal Sonic MK III blocked the machete, threw it away, and tore the doll to pieces with his drills.

He then faced the final opponent, the more advanced robot hedgehog. They stared in each other's eyes, till the blue robot spoke.

"Metal Sonic MK III, is it? The one that is supposed to replace me…"

Metal Sonic MK III was startled by what the hedgehog said, and spoke his first words. His voice was surprisingly like that of a child's. "Wait, you know who I am?"

"You show a surprising amount of intelligence. At least I can talk to you, unlike the others. I am Metal Sonic, the second attempt our creator made, at creating a replica of Sonic the Hedgehog. You are the third attempt, thus the name, 'Metal Sonic MK III'."

Metal Sonic MK III held his ground, with his drills ready. But he wanted more answers. "Who is my creator, and who is this 'Sonic the Hedgehog'?"

Metal Sonic suddenly seemed to morph, into a strange liquid. "You'll find out, if you beat me!"

The liquid Metal Sonic quickly formed into and even more powerful-looking version of Metal Sonic, whom wore a cape, elf-like shoes, and had longer and very straight quills. "Which is the superior design, which is the inferior? This battle will answer!"

Metal Sonic MK III held his ground, as Metal Sonic stepped towards him, and swiped quickly with the claws that had formed from his fingers, multiple times, with a strange elegance to the slashes. Metal Sonic MK III managed to block every slash with his drills. He was on his toes, realizing that this foe was harder than the others. He began to fight back, activating his drills, and jabbing, forcing his predecessor towards the wall. Once Metal Sonic was cornered, Metal Sonic MK III stabbed into his opponent's shoulders, and tore the limbs off. Metal Sonic staggered to the side, now with no real method of attack. But for some strange reason… He was laughing. This confused Metal Sonic MK III, who didn't think that Metal Sonic would have any more chance of winning.

"I underestimated you. I suppose I cannot make up for my fatal mistake. Here is a real test… Finish me."

However, Metal Sonic MK III deactivated his drills, and shook his head. "I destroyed the others, because I didn't know they came before me. But now I know, I won't destroy a brother of mine…"

But this only made Metal Sonic laugh even more. "I see. He programmed you with compassion towards your 'brothers'… Including me. Compassion is a weakness. Destroy me. There is no point in sparing me."

Suddenly, the door nearby opened, and a shadowy figure from behind it, fired a plasma shot, which blasted Metal Sonic to pieces. Metal Sonic MK III looked at the remains of his predecessor, and then back at the figure that destroyed him. "W-w-who are you?"

"Heh… You'll know soon enough. You could have just as easily finished him off, but I had to do it for you. He was right. Compassion is for the weak."

The figure disappeared, just as mysteriously as he came. The alarms quickly blared, as Metal Sonic MK III tried to shake off his anger. "**_WARNING! SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED! BASE DESTRUCTION IN ONE MINUTE!_**"

Metal Sonic MK III closed his eyes, and tried to think of a solution. He didn't have time to deactivate the self-destruct. He had to escape, but in one minute? But then he realized that in his databanks, there was information on a 'Sonic Speed' ability. He figured to give it a shot. He ran through the door, and went for it. His speed quickly increased, to maximum, which was enough to amaze him. He could bet that few beings could be able to experience the sensation of such speed.

By the time he got out, fifteen seconds were left. More than enough time to find a good and safe place to watch the fireworks. He dashed up onto a large hill, and looked back at the base. The outside was mostly shaped like a skull. He had barely gotten a good look, before it exploded. He wondered what was going on. Was it an accident? Was that figure responsible, and was his creator killed in there? He looked around. What was he going to do?

He heard footsteps coming up behind him. He turned around, to see Bass standing a few metres away, with a satisfied grin on his face. "Ah, at least you managed to survive. I was wanting to test you."

Metal Sonic MK III growled, and yelled, "What is going on, and who are you?"

"Eager to get some answers, I see. I'd much rather fight, and answer questions later, but I was asked to answer any of your questions. Firstly, who am I? My name is Bass. I was created by one of your two creators. What Metal Sonic told you was partially correct. Two scientists, not one, built you. You'll be meeting them soon. This is just a simulation. Your 'brothers' are fine."

Metal Sonic MK III looked around, then back at Bass. "So… This isn't real? I can't really 'die', here?"

Bass laughed at Metal Sonic MK III's question. "Were are machines. We don't 'die'. We can only be destroyed… Enough of this talk, en garde!"

Bass fired several buster shots at Metal Sonic MK III, who easily dodged them, thanks to his speed. He ran straight behind Bass, but was suddenly caught off guard. Bass had been somehow expecting this, and executed a Somersault Kick. Metal Sonic MK III was struck in the head, and this left him open for further punches and kicks from Bass. He was quickly knocked down, but he managed to recover rather quickly. Bass simply taunted him. "That was pathetic. My skill is far greater than yours."

Bass suddenly had to avoid a spin dash that Metal Sonic MK III executed, and was surprised to see his opponent stop his attack right next to him, spin on his left hand, and kicked Bass straight in the head. Metal Sonic MK III quickly got on his feet again, and dashed forward, with his drill ready, and drove it straight into Bass' torso. Bass gasped in shock, as he looked down. He then smiled. "I didn't expect that. You do have skill."

The world around them suddenly flickered…

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Metal Sonic MK III opened his eyes, to find himself in a pod of some sort. It opened, and he stepped out, looking at the two figures that stood before him. It was Dr. Eggman, and Dr. Wily. Eggman chuckled. "Not bad, not bad at all! That was a good show you put on, there!"

"Are you… My creators?"

The two scientists looked at each other, and smiled. "He catches on quick, Ivo! We did an excellent job on the AI, didn't we?"

"Indeed, Albert. He has much potential."

They looked back at their creation. Eggman introduced himself first. "I am Dr. Ivo Robotnick. Or you could just call me Eggman."

"I am Dr. Albert Wily."

Metal Sonic MK III chuckled. "Nice names! Speaking of names… Isn't my name a little long?"

Eggman and Wily looked at each other, again. "He does have a point, Ivo."

"Quite so. We need a shorter name."

"How about something musical?"

"A musical term. Doesn't Bass and Treble already have those sorts of names?"

"Please, my former partner has built robots with musical names before I did! Rock, Roll, Beat…"

"Point taken. What's short, and sounds good?"

"Devoto? Facile? Arioso?"

"Arioso! That sounds good!"

They looked back at Metal Sonic MK III, after they finished their conversation. Wily then said, "Very well! Your 'short' name shall be 'Arioso'!"

Arioso smiled, and walked towards them "Cool! So… When can I actually explore this place?"

"Go nuts."

Arioso suddenly ran right past them, smiling. "ARIGHT!"

As Arioso ran off, Eggman chuckled in his own unique way. "Just like a child, I swear… I look forward to studying how his AI performs. Yes, it is a risk, but for science… I am willing to take it."

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Arioso dashed through the corridors of the fortress, till he found a balcony, where he could see the landscape for miles. It was an island that the fortress was built on. "Wow… Great view!"

"So, you are 'Metal Sonic MK III'?"

Arioso looked to the side, to see Shadow Man standing on the railings. "Or should I call you, 'Arioso'? My name is Shadow Man, one of Dr. Wily's many creations, and part of the third series of 'Robot Masters'."

Arioso smiled. "So, there are more of you? Other than Bass?"

"Bass wasn't built as a robot master, but rather, something more powerful… Anyway, You'll have to find them all yourself. They get bored easily."

Arioso nodded, and ran off. "Thanks, bro!"

Arioso explored the fortress, looking for the other creations. He soon stopped at a door with a sign that caught his eye. "ZERO", were the words that were written.

Arioso blinked, and slowly opened the door. The room inside was pitch-black. He quickly found the light switch, and was surprised at what he saw. A capsule was in the middle of the room, and it sure wasn't empty. Inside the capsule was a humanoid robot, with red armor. Arioso checked a nearby computer, which indicated that 'Zero' was still being built. Arioso shrugged, as he left, closing the door on his way out.

As soon as he was back in the corridor, he bumped straight into two larger robots. They both wore red armor, and were humanoid. One had drills on his hands, similar to Arioso's drills. The second had a boomerang attached to his forehead. They looked a little annoyed. The one with the drills spoke first. "So, you're the new robot that Wily and Eggman made. We have a bit of a bone to pick with you. I am Crash Man, and this is Quick Man."

"Crash here is annoyed that you're using a weapon similar to his Crash Bombs. And your speed, that's my gimmick!"

Arioso blinked. "So… You're angry, because my creators designed me this way?"

Both Crash and Quick Man looked at each other, and suddenly were caught by surprise, as Arioso pushed them both over, and ran off. "TAG! You're both it!"

Quick Man grabbed Crash Man, and both Robot Masters chased after Arioso. "HEY! GET BACK HERE!"

Arioso then lead them all over the fortress, and eventually outside. He skidded at the edge of a cliff, and waited for his pursuers to come close. He jumped right over their heads, and they fell off the cliff, just as they realized what was happening. Arioso looked over the cliff, and saw both robots swimming towards the beach, cursing as they did so.

When they got to the beach, Arioso was sitting on a rock, waiting for them. "That was fun! Seriously, though, why are you so angry with me? It's not like I had a choice about how I was designed."

Crash Man sighed. "Sorry… We just weren't thinking straight. I mean, you could end up replacing us!"

Arioso blinked, and then laughed. "Me, replace you guys? Come on! I don't think you guys can be replaced by anyone!"

Quick Man smiled, and walked up to Arioso. "Really? Then I suppose we were just overreacting. You know what? I'm beginning to like you."

"Thanks! By the way, can you guys introduce me to the other robot masters?"

Crash Man gave Arioso the thumbs up. "Sure! Everyone else needs to be introduced to their new little bro, right?"

Arioso then suddenly got off the rock, and starting running towards the fortress. "COOL! First one to the fortress is a rotten egg!"

**_To Be Continued_**

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**_Author's Notes: _**I already like how Arioso's character is turning out. I've got big things planned for the kid. And whenever I'm not writing, I'm brainstorming. And I've come up with some good ideas, some just plain strange ideas, and some really funny ones. I reckon, I can get away with practically anything in this story. Well, almost anything… Such things, I shall not mention. As always, C&C will be much appreciated. Any flaws, mistakes, or anything else you would like to point out, I would be glad to know about. I want to become a better writer, and how else, than by comments from others? Well, that's all for now. I'll be trying to work hard on my other fanfics, as well as this one.


	5. Chapter 5: Beach Trip

_**Chapter 5: Beach Trip**_

**_Author's Notes: _**This chapter features three characters from a game known around the 'net, Doukutsu Monogatari, AKA, Cave Story. It might contain spoilers, so play the game first – Search it on Google. That works.

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Ryu looked into the distance, from the edge of the balcony. It was in the middle of the night. In his hand, he was holding his headband. He could remember words that his master, Gouken, once told him.

Remember these words, Ryu… 

_Our style was originally used for killing._

'_The wish to become the strongest of all,'_

_You should never let such a desire rule you, nor let the Satsui No Hadou into your fists._

_One person who is possessed of such an evil spirit will fight out of pride until his dying day, and most likely fight to kill._

_Just like Gouki, who took up the Satsui No Hadou, and whose hands are dark with the blood of his own master, Goutetsu!_

Then he noticed a figure standing on the rails. It was Shadow. "So… Why have you been so silent since I mentioned Akuma, Ryu?"

"That name brings back memories…"

"Ah, so you do know him…"

Ryu looked back into the distance, thinking back to the past. "He trained alongside my master. He was my master's brother. My master went on to create a version of our style that was not supposed to be used for killing. Akuma… He took up a dark power that consumed him. He killed his own master in a battle to the death, and claimed the life his own brother, as well… But in a way, you can't really consider him to be evil. I heard a story that he saved a young child that fell into the cave he was training in, one day… He is simply obsessed with being the world's strongest fighter."

Shadow nodded. "I see. There was more to him than meets the eye… We might as well get some sleep. Who knows what tomorrow can bring."

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The morning sun rose, and the entire group met outside the hotel, after having breakfast. Dr. Light himself had arrived in person, remarking, "Teleportation is a wonderful thing to have." Megaman was no longer in his blue armor, but rather, he was wearing normal human clothes.

To start off the conversation, Tails asked Dr. Light the first question on his mind. "Dr. Light, do you have any clue as to what is causing all this?"

"I am not sure. The only clues were the detection of anomalies in the space-time continuum… Well, that's what it seemed when my lab computer picked them up. I'm not sure what exactly they were."

Link seemed impatient. "Look, as interesting as this is… Zelda and I most return to Hyrule, post-haste. The king is expecting our return."

Dr. Light turned towards him, smiling. "I'm sure you don't need to leave so urgently, Link. All we need to do is send a message to your king. You and Princess Zelda can be Hyrule's 'ambassadors', for the time being."

Princess Zelda smiled, as she nodded. Link was mostly in agreement as well. "That is an fine idea, doctor…"

Then they noticed Ryu looking down the road, at a car that was about to come by. The car parked right next to Ryu, and the driver's window opened. It was a man with blonde hair and sunglasses looked Ryu in the eyes, and raised his sunglasses. "Hey, long time no see, Ryu! I had a feeling I would find you here."

He then noticed the rest of the group. Ryu put his bag down, smiling. "This is a surprise, Ken. I didn't expect you to be here as well. Oh, you haven't been introduced to the others."

Ken chuckled, and got out of the car. "Good morning. Pleased to meet you guys, I'm Ken Masters."

Megaman blinked, as he heard the name. "Wait, Ken Masters? Doesn't your family own a series of famous and expensive hotels?"

"Nice guess, kid! Coincidently, my wife, son and I are staying over at a hotel in his city that we own. Eliza suggested taking a beach trip, because the coast is quite the ideal spot. Any of you guys want to come along?"

Everyone had agreed, because of two reasons. One, most of them thought going to the beach would be relaxing, and a good time. Everyone else had bugger all else to do. Everyone went to prepare for the trip, minus a few, who didn't need to.

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Sonic rested on a beach towel, ignoring the fact that Amy was lying right beside him. He could hear sounds of almost everyone else enjoying themselves. He smiled, as he dozed off.

Before he knew it, he was having a dream that seemed awfully familiar to him. Seven strange gems circled his head. They were not the Chaos Emeralds, nor where they the Sol Emeralds, either. But he had definitely seen these stones before. He suddenly saw an image of a small planet above a large lake. Never Lake, and the Little Planet. These gems were the Time Stones! The stones spun round his head rapidly, and before Sonic could wonder why, a green ball of energy suddenly appeared above his head, and shot electricity all over the white void. Sonic saw a green flash, and was somewhere else entirely.

He was standing on a point of a star-shaped platform. He saw both Mario and Bowser facing off, although he didn't recognize either of them. Mario got the chance to grab Bowser's tail, and perform a spin toss, that barely sent his enemy into a bomb floating offside the platform. The instant the bomb went off, Sonic saw another green flash, and he was somewhere else. It was in the room of a castle, and Sonic could see Link fighting Gannondorf, reflecting Gannon's energy attacks back at him. Link looked slightly different, and was armed with a different sword. The green flash came again.

Sonic then briefly saw Megaman, fighting a huge machine that Dr. Wily was piloting. The flash came again, and Sonic could see a human in a strange orange space suit (With an arm cannon), fighting a monstrous green creature with three spikes on its torso. Sonic then appeared in a strange room, which appeared to be high in the clouds. Two figures stood nearby. One looked like a human teenager, with black hair and an orange and white cap, and wearing a black shirt, and orange pants. Strange devices protruded out of the sides of his head. The other person was much older. He wore a white coat, glasses, and a strange crown. Cages were hanging around the place, holding numerous rabbit-like creatures, which were cheering the teenager on. The man with the crown chuckled, and lifted his left arm upwards, quickly, as if to throw something.

At that point, the flash happened again. Sonic was in a Japanese martial arts dojo. Two men were staring each other down. The first man was Akuma. The second man was mostly bald, minus a beard. He wore shabby clothes, prayer beads, and sandals. Both men rushed at each other, about to begin a battle, but Sonic saw the flash.

Sonic then found himself in a slightly darkened room. The room had an odd smell. Various books, apparatuses, and other objects were sorted around the edge of the room. A strange circle of an odd design was in the middle of the room, a meter away from him. A tray with all sorts of elements and compounds was in the center of the circle. Two young boys, both blondes, were standing beside it. They both made small cuts on their index fingers, and let a few drops from each finger fall into the tray. Sonic could hear the elder boy say, "For the soul…"

The boys squatted on the edge of the circle. The elder boy asked the younger, "Are you ready, Al?"

"Yup!"

The circle glowed, and electricity shot from the circle, around the tray. The boys were looking in excitement. Suddenly, their expressions looked as if something went wrong. "Big brother, something is wrong…"

Al suddenly looked in shock, as his left arm started to disappear. His big brother's left leg was disappearing, too. Sonic saw a white flash, and he found himself standing a few metres away from a large, ancient gate. Al's brother was standing in front of it, being pulled into the gate by strange dark hands that shot out of the gate. A shapeless figure watched the boy get dragged in. The boy suddenly seemed to see Sonic, before another green flash occurred.

Sonic saw Rayman fighting a huge yellow robot in a strange arena in the clouds. He didn't have enough time to identify what the arena was, exactly, as the flash had come again. Now, he had ended up on the edge of the top of what looked like the top of a tower in a castle. Three combatants were doing battle; the first two were a bear and bird, the bird in the bear's blue backpack. The third was a witch, riding a broomstick. The flash came again. Now Sonic could see what appeared to be a teenage girl, with green hair. Her appearance seemed quite strange, white metal covering most of her body, and her hands looked a little odd, as well, as it seemed to have gems attached to the back of the hands. She was fighting a massive robot, that was slightly human in shape, but was clearly a combat robot. The girl caught the robot's rocket fist, and threw it back at it, damaging it. Then, once more, the green flash was back.

Sonic was now floating in space. He could see a heated battle between a fighter spacecraft, and another spaceship, considerably larger than the fighter craft. The fighter was somehow winning, and it fired a red bomb into one of the laser cannons of the larger craft. The flash happened again.

"It's time to choose, Mr. Freeman…"

Sonic was at one end of a tram-like vehicle, speeding through a strange void. On the other side, were two men. The first was a brown-haired man, with glasses and a full-body suit, who was apparently, 'Mr. Freeman'. The second was a black-haired man, with a military-style crew cut, wearing a grayish-blue suit, with an odd human appearance. The man with the glasses looked to the side, as the door of the tram opened, and a strange portal appeared behind it. He slowly stepped towards it, and suddenly saw Sonic, as he disappeared through the portal. The other man looked at Sonic, with a strange look. His voice seemed quite peculiar.

"Cleverly done, Mr. Hedgehog… But you're not supposed to be here. As a matter of fact, _you're not_."

Sonic suddenly felt a sensation of intense speed, and the flash occurred once more, except it lingered.

"Get back to where you belong, and forget about all this… Until we meet… Again."

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Sonic instantly woke up, as soon as the strange man spoke the last word. He slowly sat up, thinking about the dream. His thoughts were interrupted by the fact that Amy managed to move herself over to him, to the point where their two bodies were touching. Sonic jumped onto his feet in shock. "AMY! WHA-WHA-"

Then he noticed a few others laughing at him. "Oh, very funny, guys…"

Amy sat up, and giggled. The others stopped laughing, and then Ken replied, "Sorry, we couldn't resist…"

"You guys shouldn't really try to humiliate him, you know."

Eyes turned towards a teenage girl walking along the sand, in her red beach clothes. She had blonde hair. A boy was right next to her. Sonic's eyes widened. It was the teenager from his dream, who was going up against the man with the crown! Although his clothing was different, the strange devices on the sides of his head were easy to recognize. The girl had similar devices in the same places. Sonic quickly ran in front of them. "EXCUSE ME! Do I know you guys from somewhere?"

The boy blinked, and shook his head. "I don't think so… I don't think we've met."

"Well, funny thing is, I just had a dream, and you were in it…"

Both the boy and girl looked at each other, then back at Sonic. The boy then chuckled. "Yeah, that is weird… By the way, my name is Quote."

"Quote? Nice to meet you! I'm Sonic the hedgehog."

The girl giggled. "I'm Curly Brace. Me and Quote are old friends…"

Suddenly, Dr. Light came over, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, and examined by Quote and Curly with his eyes. "My, I've never seen this design of robot before…"

Everyone else jumped in surprise. Quote asked the doctor, "How'd you guess?"

"Easy. Those devices where your ears should be are a telltale sign of robotics. I should know, I am a leading expert on the subject. My name is Dr. Light. I am pleased to meet you both."

A large round of introductions then began…

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Both Dr. Eggman and Dr. Wily watched a screen that showed the scene on the beach. Eggman chuckled, in his own unique manner. "Perfect! We have all of our enemies in one place! Taking them by surprise will be like squashing an ant! Arioso shall duel Sonic, while Bass shall fight Mega Man!"

"Oh, yes! And the mech we built together will be enough to take care of the rest!"

Arioso and Bass were also watching. Arioso pointed towards the screen, where Sonic was, out of curiosity. "That's Sonic?"

Eggman quickly replied, "Yes. He has been a thorn in my side for so long! You shall get rid of him!"

Wily suddenly complained, "However, why did we have to agree with the name, 'The Egg Skull', for the mech?"

"I have no idea. The name doesn't really matter, anyway! Let us ruin their little party! TO THE EGG SKULL!'

To Be Continued 

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**_Author's Notes: _**The dream was meant to hint on who would appear later in the story. You might not be able to guess one or two of them. On the other hand, I made one of, and the last segment of the dream easy to recognize. The descriptions would be better, if describing things were my forte. I'm tired as hell right now, so I'll just say that C&C is appreciated, and I hope you guys had a good read.

_ Josh 'Cronosonic' Braico_


	6. Chapter 6: Battle On The Beach

_**Chapter 6: Battle on Station Square Beach!**_

**_Author's Notes:_** I somehow came up with the idea of having 'prologues' to each chapter, where a particular character briefly about certain things… Let's just see how it goes.

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_They call me Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest creature on Earth._

_My life has always revolved around my deeds as a hero. Helping people, stopping Eggman's evil schemes, all that stuff._

_I know Eggman has made robotic knock-offs of me. They've never come close to matching me. But this time… The old doc has really outdone himself!_

_This new Metal Sonic can easily match my speed, out-match me in strength, and fire bombs from his hands! And he's not even taking things seriously! He's like a kid…_

_I don't know if I can beat him, but I can sure as hell try!_

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The fun went on, various members of the group were now surfing, trying to out-do each other. Before the trouble started, Dan Hibiki somehow came out on top, by taunting while surfing.

And the trouble started, when a large explosion on the water's edge took everyone by surprise, and knocked the surfers off their boards. Ordinary people fled the scene in terror. A large mech rose out of the water, as the group slowly approached. It was mostly red, several metres high, and it had a human-like structure, head, four limbs, etc. Weapons had been placed all over the body, machine guns, rocket launchers, and flamethrowers. It walked onto the beach, and familiar laughing came from the head and torso. A window appeared on the head. Dr. Eggman was in a cockpit in the head.

"Oh, not happy to see us, eh?"

Sonic growled, certainly not in the mood, as his relaxation time had been ruined. "EGGMAN! Why did you have to ruin things?"

"Oh, did me and my partner interrupt your 'party'? Sorry, but this was the perfect opportunity to get you all out of the way!"

Two more windows appeared on both sides of the torso. Dr. Wily was in it. Dr. Light frowned. "I am not surprised that you would ally yourself with him, Albert!"

"We have a mutual understanding, Thomas, that we must get rid of all of you! This time, Mega Man cannot stop me. Our mech, the 'Egg Skull', is very formidable! But, we've also got two accomplices to make things easier."

Bass and Arioso suddenly jumped up from behind the Egg Skull, Bass landing on the right shoulder, Arioso on the left. Mega Man was certainly not surprised to see Bass, but nobody knew what Arioso was. Eggman smiled. "Bass may not need an introduction to a few of you, but I must introduce the creation that me and Wily worked tirelessly on! I present, Metal Sonic MK III, or should I refer to him by his nickname, Arioso?"

Arioso jumped off the shoulder, landing on the sand. He was smiling, as he looked at Sonic. "Hiya, Uncle Sonic!"

This came as a shock to Sonic. Nobody had ever called him 'uncle', before. And the words coming from the mouth of a robot was an even bigger shock. "Hey! I AM NOT YOUR UNCLE!"

Arioso shrugged, in reply. "Suit yourself…"

Eggman grinned. "Impressive, isn't he? Besides his body being formidable, his AI is the finest I have ever worked on. Although he is a little naïve, he is a good fighter."

Arioso then ran straight past Sonic, giggling. "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!"

Sonic rushed after him, looking quite annoyed. Bass got his buster ready, and fired at Mega Man, who quickly dodged, and the duel began, which ended up going away from the rest of the group. Everyone else prepared to fight the Egg Skull, while all those who couldn't fight stayed behind a protective barrier that was put up by Zelda and Ly.

The Egg Skull was ready to attack. Eggman grinned, as he gripped his controls. "What's unique about this mech is that it needs two pilots to operate. I operate the main body; Wily here will operate the weapons!"

As both sides were ready to face off, Ryu and Ken stood next to each other, ready to fight. "Ready, Ryu?"

"Just like old times, Ken…"

Ken suddenly noticed something behind them, and tackled Ryu to the ground. "HIT THE SAND!"

Three red missiles rocketed over their heads, and slammed into the Egg Skull, nearly knocking it over, and damaging it slightly. Everyone looked in the direction of the person who fired it – a rather irritated Curly Brace, wielding a rocket launcher. "HEY! THAT'S FOR RUINING OUR DAY, SCUMBAGS!"

Eggman was frowning. "I have this feeling we're going to lose…"

"Why is that, Albert?" Wily asked.

"Angry women always win… Amy Rose is a good example."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sonic angrily ran after Arioso, down the streets of Station Square. Arioso thought it was all just a big game – he didn't realize what he was doing was potentially dangerous to bystanders. He was doing dangerous stunts, such as spin dashing in the middle of the road, nearly hitting cars.

Sonic knew he had to stop this robot from potentially hurting someone. He ran right past Arioso, and executed a well-placed spin-kick, sending Arioso sprawling to the ground. He slowly got up, frowning. "Hey, that hurt, you big meanie!"

"You could have hurt someone with those stunts of yours! I couldn't let that happen."

Arioso suddenly changed his hands into drills, and fired two Crash Bombs at Sonic. "YOU ASKED FOR IT!"

Sonic ran out of the way, as the bombs dug into the ground, and exploded. "WHOA! Better keep away from those… YIKES!"

Sonic jumped out of the way, as Arioso threw a car at him, with little effort. Sonic ran away, as Arioso chased after him while throwing any random objects that he could find.

"Great… The kid's fast, can fire bombs from his hands, and has insane strength! How am I going to beat him at this rate?"

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Bass had started using his Chaos Emerald, and his buster shots had become more powerful. Megaman was having a hard time, to the point where he was knocked down by a single shot. Before he could get up, Bass had his buster aimed point-blank, at Mega Man's head.

"Your time is up, blue boy… And I'll have much satisfaction finishing you off."

Rock's eye's widened with fear, and he closed them. He suddenly heard Bass stepping away from him, and looked at his opponent, who was, to his surprise, throwing away the Chaos Emerald.

"That's what I WOULD be saying… If I beat you fairly."

Bass turned around, looking in Mega Man's eyes. "Beating you with that godforsaken gem is cheap, and doesn't give me any satisfaction. All I want is to beat you in a fight that I can enjoy. A fair fight, with the odds even… That's a fight I want to win. And the only thing in my way of this goal… Is Wily!"

Mega Man didn't understand why Bass would simply spare him, and throw away his chance to win. But he was thankful he did.

Bass simply walked away, towards the battle involving the Egg Skull…

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The mighty battle was underway, with both sides not willing to give up. Curly Brace had exhausted her supply of missiles, and had starting using her 'Nemesis' gun, while Quote had started using his 'Spur', occasionally firing charged-up beams that broke through the enemy's defense. The battle was even, until a few newcomers entered the fray.

Out of nowhere, two koopa shells hit the back of the Egg Skull. Mario and Luigi landed on the shoulders, with their hammers out, and started hitting the window of Eggman's cockpit. Eggman knocked them off using the hands of the mech, sending them into the sand, and attempted to jump on them. "I don't know where you two came from, but you're finished!"

Mario and Luigi disappeared, just before the mech landed, and appeared several meters away, with Shadow right next to them. "I suggest you stay out of this."

As Shadow dashed away, Mario and Luigi obviously didn't care about what he said. They pulled out fire flowers, and their clothes changed to a white and red colour scheme. They let loose two large fireballs, which slammed into the Egg Skull. And five missiles hit the mech just after that, which came out of nowhere.

"HUZZAH!"

A rather large grey box… Thing… Landed next to Quote and Curly. It had a face (Although lacking a nose), and two 'arms' coming out of slits from his sides. "Oh-ho! I see I came just in time!"

Curly sighed. "Yes, Balrog, but can you keep attacking that robot?"

"Sure thing!"

Eggman was getting frustrated. "Albert, we're losing the advantage! This mech is taking heavy damage!"

"Then let us use the secret weapon!"

A large 'cannon' appeared above the Egg Skull, which caught the weapon. It was basically a very large version of a two-handed beam weapon. Wily aimed the cannon at the bystanders behind the shield, guessing that the shield would easily break in a single shot. But Eggman's eyes widened, when he saw a familiar figure in the crowd.

"ALBERT! STOP, MY COUSIN IS WITH THEM!"

At first, there was a bit of confusion, before Shadow landed next to Maria. "He's referring to you, Maria! Do you not recognize your cousin, Ivo?"

Maria gasped, as she now recognized Eggman. "Ivo! Why…"

Eggman let go of his controls. "I have asked myself that question many times, Maria… I don't know why you are here, alive…"

"Stop this madness, Ivo! Don't you see that people could get hurt?"

Eggman listened to Maria's words, and opened the cracked cockpit window, much to Wily's shock. "IVO! What are you…"

"Stand down, Albert… This fight is pointless, and we are losing…"

--------------------------------------------------

Sonic had been knocked down, and Arioso was standing over him, holding his Chaos Emerald in his hand. "Ready to give up?"

"No! By the way… WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE?"

Arioso looked behind him (His naivety allowed him to fall for the ancient trick), and Sonic grabbed the emerald. Arioso noticed. "HEY! GIVE IT BACK!"

The robot tried to take it back, but Sonic ran off, and suddenly smiled. "CHAOS… CONTROL!"

Sonic disappeared, Arioso wondering where he had gone. Arioso was suddenly hit hard in the head several times, before being kicked into a signpost, and then Sonic appeared nearby. "That's how you use Chaos!"

Arioso groaned, and suddenly put his hands on the side of his head. He seemed to be taking something off his head… Which happened to be his helmet. Arioso inspected his dented helmet, while Sonic looked on. Arioso's 'skin' was aqua blue, and he looked just like a real hedgehog. Sonic was surprised to see something under the armor, even more to see realistic 'skin'. "Whoa… Eggman has really outdone himself!"

"His AI is the finest I have ever worked on. Although he is a little naïve…" 

Sonic walked up to Arioso, remembering what Eggman said. Arioso barely knew right from wrong, and was practically a newborn, with an advanced AI. "Hey… Why don't we call it a tie?"

Arioso looked in Sonic's eyes, surprised. "Wha… Why?"

"I just feel a little sorry for you… You only just recently came into this world, and you barely know anything about it. You need someone to teach you right from wrong, as well."

"Really?"

"Yep. And I don't mind you calling me uncle, from now on… I can see why you do. Now, let's get back to the beach!"

-----------------------------------------------------------

Eggman and Wily stood on the beach with their hands up. Wily was quite annoyed. But Dr. Light came over, and changed that.

"Albert, this is the second time you've been captured without getting away. I should have said this to you the first time… I apologize."

Wily raised an eyebrow, as Light went on. "I did not realize you were not getting enough credit. Had I realized, I would have done something about it. If it weren't for your help, the master-type robots would have never been built successfully."

"Thomas… No, it was my fault. I realize that jealousy got the better of me, and look at what it turned me into. Many times, I've wondered what the point of my schemes is. They always fail, and I pay a high price, as a result. Now I want to redeem myself, for my foolishness."

Mega Man arrived, surprised to see Wily apologizing for his crimes. Sonic and Arioso arrived just after; Sonic being just as surprised to see Eggman had surrendered.

"Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Eggman?"

Eggman chuckled at Sonic's comment. "You can thank Maria. I've decided to give up my goal of taking over the world, but to help make it a better place, like my grandfather once did. And I see you've made peace with Arioso."

The Mario brothers were talking to each other in Italian, and then nodded. They went over to Sonic. "Excuse-a us, Mr. Sonic, but we must introduce ourselves. We are the Mario Brothers, hailing from the Mushroom Kingdom."

Sonic looked at them, smiling. "I see, you've come from one of the other continents!"

"Indeed. I am Mario; this is my brother, Luigi. We were-a investigating the cause of recent events, and ended up helping to fight the big robot."

Sonic nodded, before he noticed a large helicopter come in towards the beach. Everyone else watched, as it landed, and a man stepped out of the copter. He was wearing a military uniform, white hair, and an odd pair of irises. One was blue, the other brown.

"I am the commander of the Guardian Unit of Nations. I have come to request the aid of those here that can fight. In another part of the world, there is a crisis."

"HOLD IT!"

Shadow walked up to the GUN Commander, a little irritated. "I believe it is simply impolite to intrude. Besides, what kind of business would you have with us?"

Maria giggled, and walked up behind Shadow. "Have you lost your manners since we last met, Claude?"

The commander, Claude, was lost for words. "Maria? Is it really you?"

They ended up in a warm embrace. Claude looked at Shadow, smiling. "Whatever you did…"

"I had help, Commander… No need to thank me."

Claude cleared his throat, and spoke to the group once more. "Excuse my impoliteness, but the matter is of grave urgency. I am Commander Claude Dias Arngrim. I ask if you could lend your skills to aid GUN and the other forces that are trying to combat a new enemy… In Europe, there is a massive city. A resistance there has started an uprising that has torn the city into chaos. The ruler is a tyrant by the name of Dr. Wallace Breen, who, according to resistance members were have communicated with, is a puppet of a greater empire, called the Combine."

He then looked at Eggman and Wily. "Oh, and as for you two… As you are keen to redeem yourselves, you can help with this mission."

"Yes, of course!"

Arngrim then continued his speech. "The hero of the resistance has been reported to be leading them, smashing through the Combine forces. He is a scientist, a fact that most surprised me. His name, is Gordon Freeman."

**_TO BE CONTINUED_**

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**_Author's Notes: _**Ah, time for the Half-Life 2 saga! Thank God I played Episode One as soon as I could play it after it came out! Now… I hope I don't make continuity errors. That would suck.

By the way… As for the GUN Commander's name, how did I think of it? Actually, I didn't. But I can thank Anthony Bault, he was the one who did!


	7. Chapter 7: Welcome to City 17

_**Chapter 7: Welcome to City 17**_

**_Author's Notes: _**Here it is, the Half-Life 2 part of the story. A bit of explanation for the guys who haven't played it, then we'll get on to the action.

--------------------------------------------------------------

A few transport aircraft quickly showed up to pick up the group gathered at the beach. There were those that were able to fly, though. And as it happened, Quote and Curly were taking a ride on Balrog, who had replaced his 'arms' with wings. Some of those who could see this found the sight to be a little creepy. Others wondered how he could actually do it.

From a rather loud series of speakers on the aircraft, Arngrim started a full explanation of the situation. "Before the dimensional disturbance recently, there was an incident at a research facility in New Mexico, called Black Mesa. There was a resonance cascade, which caused aliens from a world called 'Zen' to appear in the complex. Chaos ensured, and the HECU was sent in to not only wipe out the aliens, but to silence the scientists there as well. Gordon Freeman, with a HEV suit, fought for his life in the complex, and was sent to Zen to kill the beast that was holding up the dimensional gateway. He succeeded, apparently, but went missing for two decades."

"Then, the Combine arrived. They destroyed all of Earth's military strength within seven hours, and the administrator of Black Mesa, Dr. Breen, negotiated Earth's surrender. For that, he was given power to rule the entire planet, while being a puppet to the Combine. Now… His power is almost depleted, his capital in chaos, and a scientist who once worked for him has allowed a rebellion to rise."

"Then, came Gordon Freeman. He was quickly discovered by the resistance, and after the capture of a friend and former colleague of his, Dr. Eli Vance, Freeman broke into a notorious maximum-security prison, Nova Prospekt, with the help of Eli's daughter, Alyx. Apparently, he almost succeeded in freeing Dr. Vance, but a mishap somehow transported him to the Citadel in the middle of City 17. Freeman and Alyx escaped through a teleported, and apparently showed up a week later. Currently, they are making their way to the Citadel, to end the Combine rule, and save Dr. Vance."

As he spoke, Ryu and Ken were examining their body suits. (As for how they look, like of the gear that Solid Snake wears.) Ryu calmly asked Ken, "Are you sure we will need these?"

"Ryu, it's a battlefield! Bullets will be flying, explosives will go off… This is more than adequate protection."

Ryu smiled, as he tightened his headband. "You know, Ken… Even since yesterday, I've had this feeling that this new world will bring me new challenges. And I am ready to face them!"

"That's the spirit, Ryu! Just like old times!"

Arioso was sitting next to Sonic and Amy, smiling. "AWSOME! Are we gonna beat up some bad guys, uncle Sonic?"

"Um… Sure!"

Suddenly, Sonic's head started to hurt. He closed his eyes, and suddenly had a vision of another green flash. He could see what appeared to be Mega Man, except looking more 'advanced'. He could see a humanoid robot with a cape, and a green gem on his forehead, smiling on the other side of the room. He seemed to bare out orders, and a blue robotic dog jumped out at 'Mega Man', preparing to attack.

Then there was another flash. Sonic could see a battle between two pirate ships, one of the crews being lead by a red-haired woman. Tied the mast of one of the ships, was a blonde-haired man with a white long-sleeved shirt, and blue pants. When the woman's crew had finished wiping the floor with the enemy, she came up to the man, smiling. The man quickly asked her, "Elaine… Can you untie me, now?"

The visions disappeared, and Sonic realized that he was clutching his own head in pain. Arioso was curious. "Uncle Sonic… Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am," Sonic lied.

He suddenly had a thought. "Freeman… Why does that name sound familiar?"

They soon reached a resistance base, not too far outside what appeared to be City 17. The Citadel stood out in the middle of the city like a sore thumb, the massive black tower was possibly the tallest structure on the planet. Resistance members stood outside the base, wielding advanced assault rifles. They each had the Lambda symbol on their left arms. A man escorted by two resistance soldiers came out of the base. He was obviously the base's leader, due to his uniform. He also had a bit of an English look to him. As everyone got off the transports, Arngrim went up to the resistance leader. "Ah, Colonel Cubbage. I brought them, as I said I would."

Colonel Cubbage replied in an upper class English accent, "I can see, General. These seem like very fine volunteers!"

Everyone gathered around, as Cubbage cleared his throat. "Welcome! I can assume Arngrim has explained the entire situation to you all. Obviously, you will be helping us fight the Combine in City 17; however, there is an assignment that one person here has to accomplish. Is there a 'Shadow', here?"

Shadow the Hedgehog stepped forward. "I am."

"Good! Your task is to get to the Citadel as fast as possible, and help Gordon Freeman. The very life of Dr. Eli Vance rests in the hands of you, and Freeman! Are you ready to take up this task?"

Shadow smiled. "Of course… All I need is another Chaos Emerald, and a good weapon."

Megaman threw him Bass' emerald, and a resistance soldier handed Shadow an assault rifle. Shadow suddenly dashed off, heading straight for City 17.

Cubbage looked back at the rest of the group. "Now, then! Ready to take on the Combine?"

----------------------------------------------------------------

Shadow dashed through the ruined streets of City 17. He would occasionally encounter groups of Combine soldiers, who were mostly infantrymen with respirators on their faces, which were part of their 'masks'. Shadow found that the rifle he carried was in fact a rather deadly pulse rifle, with a secondary function that allowed him to shoot energy balls that disintegrated enemies when it hit them. He kept going, not deterred by any opposition that came his way.

He soon ran into a Combine Gunship Synth, which had animalistic features. As he ran, he was consistently hounded by the Gunship, till he finally bothered to run up the side of a building, and used Chaos Spear to blow it up.

As he ran, he soon came upon a scene – resistance members attacking a three-legged Synth. A soldier hiding behind a pillar yelled to Shadow, "DON'T JUST STAND THERE! You're Shadow, right? We got a transmission saying you were coming our way! We're being attacked by Striders!"

An RPG shell hit the Strider. Shadow smiled, and dashed towards the Synth, and augmented his Homing Attack with the Chaos Emeralds, allowing him to smash through the Strider in a single strike. The rebels cheered, as Shadow landed. Suddenly, four other Striders came into view, and started attacking Shadow, while the resistance soldiers found cover. Shadow had a red aura around him. "CHAOS… BLAST!"

The mighty blast took out the Striders. When it went away, the shocked rebels came out of hiding. Shadow noticed them. "You guys okay? Take care, I'm off to help Freeman!"

---------------------------------------------------------------

A Combine Soldier hit the wall, taken out by the force of Ryu's hadouken. The Combine was fighting a losing battle against the newcomers. A Gunship that had come along didn't even get the chance to attack, as Balrog had already crushed it. "HAH! Take that, stupid bug!"

The heroes smashed through the Combine defenses, backed up by GUN forces. Arioso even tore apart a Strider, laughing. Other Synths were easily dealt with by Quote and Curly, showing off the weapons they had at their disposal, including a sword that Quote used to down a Gunship in a single strike.

Meanwhile, a figure watched the action from the very top of the Citadel…

-------------------------------------------------------------

Wallace Breen watched the screens in his office, of Shadow making his way along the streets, and the onslaught by the other heroes. Other cameras had other battles on them.

"Amazing. I had no idea such life existed… But why do they bother? They'll be dealt with. Oh, Judith…"

"Yes, Wallace?"

"Get me the files we have on the black hedgehog. He looks familiar…"

---------------------------------------------------------------

Shadow kept going, smashing through all opposition. Eventually, he saw a few people right near the edge of the Citadel, including a large robot, and a man with the full body suit – Freeman. The robot created an opening for Freeman to get through. Shadow dashed up, and dived through the hole, much to the surprise of the leader of the group. "If you see Dr. Breen, tell him I said-WHAT THE F-"

Shadow couldn't hear the swear. He landed in a tunnel, and looked towards Gordon Freeman, who was very much surprised. "Dr. Freeman, I presume?"

Gordon nodded, asking, "I am, but who are you?"

"My name is Shadow the Hedgehog. I am here to help you rescue Dr. Vance."

Gordon walked down the tunnel, smiling. "Well, at least I can actually get some help down here…"

They soon came to a massive tunnel, showing that the Citadel reached far below the ground. Gordon and Shadow gradually made their way to the metal maze, that lead them to a dead end, with bottomless pits on each side, and 'pods' opening on the bridge, on two rails. Gordon shrugged. "Maybe we could hitch a ride in one of the pods…"

Before he could go in one, Shadow stopped him, pointing to where the rail went – to a device that sent a surge of electricity through and around the pods, which would have killed anything in them. "Maybe the other rail."

Gordon nodded, and got into a pod on the other rail, and Shadow got onto the top. The pod gave them a long ride, till they found themselves in a strange room, with four devices on the walls. Both Shadow and Gordon could barely move, when they got off the pods, and all of their weapons, including the two Chaos Emeralds, came off them, floating in midair. Each of the weapons disappeared one by one, except a strange gun that Gordon had, and the emeralds. Instead, the dark energy that the devices used was absorbed into them. The devices broke. The emeralds and the gun were glowing blue. Gordon retrieved his gun, and Shadow picked up the emeralds.

The door opened, as they wondered what happened. The duo proceeded, and was quickly attacked by Combine soldiers. Gordon's gun shot electric surges that killed soldiers instantly, and could pick them out of the air, and toss them at the other soldiers. Shadow's chaos abilities were more powerful. They quickly ran into a monitor, which showed Dr. Breen's face.

"Well, well… I did not expect you to arrive so soon, Dr. Freeman. And I see you have an accomplice. But this doesn't change facts, as you might know…"

The screen went off. Shadow smiled, and he smashed the screen. "So, that's Dr. Breen? Doesn't look that tough."

They easily made their way through the Citadel; taking out Combine soldiers on the way. Dr. Breen made more speeches on the monitors along the way. They even encountered a Strider, which Shadow took out easily. They soon ran into another dead end, and took the only pod rail there. However, a scanner along the way made Shadow have a bad feeling about the situation. They were treated to an incredible sight of the entire city, on their way up the rail, to the top of the Citadel. They soon reached the top, to be ambushed by two elites – Shadow was hit multiple times by a stunner, and the elites clamped handcuffs on his wrists and ankles. Gordon couldn't get out of his pod, and one of the elites took his gun, which he had told Shadow was called the Gravity Gun, away from him.

A woman with red hair and a woolen jumper stepped into the room. Another pod came, and she placed Shadow in it, just as the handcuffs came off. "I will take them from here. Don't struggle, it's no use."

Gordon stared at her, coldly. "Mossman, you…"

"Until you are where he wants, there is nothing you can do. I am sorry, Gordon…"

She led both pods down a corridor, as they hovered in midair. They came to a large room, which was obviously Breen's office. Breen was talking with an African-American man, in his late fifties or early sixties with short grey hair, a beard and moustache. "... Carbon stars with ancient satellites colonized by sentient fungi. Gas giants, inhabited by vast meteorological intelligences, worlds stretched thin across the membranes where dimensions intersect... Impossible to describe with our limited vocabulary."

"What I've seen is also beyond words, Breen. Genocide, indescribable evil!"

The man talking to Breen saw Freeman, with a shocked look. "Good God."

Breen turned to Gordon, smiling. "Well, if it isn't Gordon Freeman at last. And his accomplice… Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form, is it?"

Shadow growled. "How did you…?"

Breen noticed the Gravity Gun that the elite was showing him. "Oh, what is this? Put it on my desk."

As the elite did so, Breen kept talking. "You have my gratitude, Dr. Freeman, first you lead me to the doorstep of my oldest friend, then you deliver yourself. If I had known you were going to come straight up to my office, I would not have bothered hunting you in the first place. Having both of you in my keeping ensures I can dictate the terms of any bargain I care to make with the Combine!"

Mossman suddenly interrupted him. "Dr. Breen… Wallace…"

"Yes, what is it, Judith?"

"The bargain we should be making, is for his life, so he can continue his research!"

"Judith, thanks to you, we have all that we need in that regard! You are more than qualified to finish his research himself! What neither you nor I can do is convince that rabble in the streets to give up their senseless struggle. Yet Eli refuses to speak the words that would save them all.

"Save them! For what!"

"Eli, if you will not do this for the good of all people, then maybe you will do it for one of them!"

Another pod came into the room, carrying a young woman of mixed ethnicity in her early or mid-twenties. Eli was surprised. "Alyx... Honey…"

"Dad! Huh? Gordon? No…"

Gordon was shocked, as well. "Alyx! No!"

Eli, infuriated, snapped at Breen. "God damn you, Breen! You let her go!"

"My old friend, that is all up to you. Will you let your stubbornness doom the entire species? Or will you give your child the chance that her mother never had?"

Alyx suddenly spat in Breen's face. "How dare you even mention her!"

"Alyx, you have your mother's eyes, but your father's stubbornness!"

Shadow was starting to get angry. Alyx shouted back, "You have not seen a bit of it yet!"

"Really? Lets see how it serves you, on the far side of a Combine portal!"

Eli, in face of this threat, talked back. "Go ahead, Breen! If that's the worst you can do, send us through your portal!"

Judith suddenly pulled out a hacking tool, while Breen spoke. "Oh, it is hardly the worst! But you might find that hard to believe when you get there."

Judith protested, hiding the tool. "It isn't necessary, Wallace!"

"I agree… It isn't a total waste. Fortunately, the resistance has shown it can accept a new leader. And this one has proven to be a fine pawn for those who control him!"

Gordon realized that Breen was referring to him. The Vances looked at Gordon, Alyx pleading, "Don't listen to him, Gordon!"

"So, how about it, Dr. Freeman? Did you realize that your contract was open to the highest bidder?"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, BREEN! It'll be a cold day in hell, before I make any kind of deal with you!"

Breen smiled. "I understand if you don't want to discuss this in front of your friends. I'll send them on their way, and then we can talk openly."

The pods carrying the Vances were lifted into the air. They had a quick talk, but Shadow wasn't listening. Breen walked over to Shadow's pod. "Ah, yes… You were wondering how I knew your name. Who would not know the work of Gerald Robotnick? Such a misunderstood man, executed for crimes he didn't commit. And here it is, his greatest creation. I look forward to dissecting you!"

Shadow was getting really angry, now. Judith was suddenly messing with a nearby console. Breen noticed. "Judith, what are you doing?"

"We are doing what I could not do alone. Stopping you!"

Alyx smiled, he she heard this. "YES!"

"GUARDS! GET IN HERE!"

Breen backed off, as Judith used the hacking tool on the intercom. The elites banged on the closed door. "They know you betrayed them, they will turn on you, Judith… Dr. Mossman, please!"

"I am sorry, Wallace, you are out of time."

Judith started messing with the console, while Breen tried to stop her. At this point, Shadow yelled, "CHAOS…"

A shockwave, and a flash knocked down both Judith and Breen. Everyone could see Shadow, free, his fur changed to a golden colour. "Your time is up, Breen!"

Judith managed to free Gordon, while Breen grabbed the Gravity Gun, and attempted to flee. Shadow came after him, but Breen tried to shoot him, causing a massive reaction.

When the smoke cleared, Shadow was lying on the ground, normal again. Everyone was free, and Breen had managed to flee into an elevator. Shadow got up, growling. "He's not going to get away!"

He rushed over to the elevator, as the others talked. Soon, Gordon and Alyx were right behind him, and they managed to get into the elevator. Alyx smiled, as the elevator went up. "Gordon… Shadow… We haven't known each other for very long, but I know you didn't have to do this. I had to rescue my father, but you… Well… Thanks for coming after me. Hey, listen!"

The last two words were directed to Breen's barely-audible voice, coming from the room at the top. Alyx rolled her eyes, as they listened. When they reached the top, Alyx quickly deactivated the force field. Breen rushed off, exclaiming, "OH, SHIT!"

He managed to get into the elevator before they could catch him. Just before the elevator went down, Breen was smiling and waving to Alyx, in a rather cheeky manner.

"DAMMIT! NOT AGAIN!'

Gordon picked up the Gravity Gun, which Breen had left behind. Alyx noticed. "The Gravity Gun? He doesn't have a clue, does he? I wonder where he's going…"

The metal shield between the consoles opened, to reveal a massive reactor. Alyx gasped. "Oh my God! This is the dark energy fusion reactor! It powers their tunneling entanglement device. We'll never have a chance like this again. We have to stop him!"

Shadow smiled, holding both his Chaos Emeralds. "What are we waiting for? We've got a reactor to blow up!"

Alyx tried to use the consoles, but found that it was no use. "It's no good, it looks like he has turned out control to the other side. You'll have to go into the core and do what you can. Get into the elevator and I will let you in… Don't forget to charge up your suit."

Gordon nodded, and used the nearby recharge unit. Shadow waited near the elevator, and they both went in when it came up. When they got to the bottom, they saw Breen in a spherical teleportation unit. "Dr. Freeman, Shadow, you shouldn't be out here. At the moment of synapse as I teleport this chamber will be bathed in deadly particles that have yet to be named by human science. Perhaps when I have the leisure to do the work myself, I will name both of them after you. That way you will not be completely forgotten. When the singularity collapses, I will be far away from here, in another universe in fact. You on the other hand will be destroyed in every way possible, and even some essentially impossible!"

Shadow looked around, and noticed a large red crystal floating around. It started firing energy balls at Shadow and Gordon. Shadow quickly dashed off to attack the crystal. "I'll deal with this thing, you take out the core!"

"Can do, Shadow!"

Shadow raced up to the top, as he used a hit and run strategy on the crystal. He noticed it attach to a nearby Gunship, which started firing powerful red rapid-fire pulses. Shadow used Chaos Spear to take out the Gunship, but the crystal was intact. Gordon had gotten up to the top as well, and started using the Gravity Gun to send energy balls at the portal, while Breen attempted to plead to Gordon to stop. The portal was at a near-critical state. "Gordon, you need me!"

Suddenly, the crystal floated near Breen. A transperant figure appeared in front of it, smiling. "You'll make a fine host, Dr. Breen..."

"Wha... NO!"

The figure and Breen suddenly disappeared.

Shadow noticed the portal at near destruction, and launched a Chaos Spear at the portal, blowing it up. The shield blocking the control room disappeared, and Alyx stepped in. "YOU DID IT! We have to get out of here, maybe we still have-"

The core suddenly exploded. As the force knocked Alyx back, time seemed to slow down and freeze. Shadow could barely move his body. Gordon suddenly disappeared. Then, there was chanting. Shadow could see multiple figures fade into view, even standing in midair. These 'aliens' were of a humanlike shape, but purple, and they had multiple eyes, along with a third arm on their torsos. They were chanting, and two suddenly grabbed Alyx by the shoulder. She suddenly stopped being frozen, noticed the aliens, and closed her eyes, they she disappeared. Shadow could feel hands on his shoulders, as well. The world started to go black…

**_TO BE CONTINUED_**

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**_Author's Notes: _**Holy… This is one freaking big chapter. And there's far more in the next… A writer's work is never done.

Anyway… I have been thinking of an interesting idea. Seeing as I've wanted to incorporate far more game series than I can think of/can do, I want this to be a fanfic that can suit everyone's tastes. I've been toying with ideas of the inclusion of games such as Kingdom Hearts, Halo, etc. Thing is, such games I barely even have any understanding of. Then I came with the idea – what if there was more than one author? Different authors specializing in different games… Or, possibly, an entire community working on the same project. If done correctly, it could actually work. No, I'm not joking. I'm quite serious.

If anyone wants to talk to me on how this idea can be expanded, and done properly, you can either send me a PM or e-mail, or talk to me over AIM (Screen name is Cronosonic7). Has anyone actually done something similar? Who knows, maybe this idea could become a reality!

**- Joshua "Cronosonic" Braico**


	8. Chapter 8: City 17, Aftermath

_**Chapter 8: City 17, Aftermath**_

Shadow slowly came to, finding himself on the edge of a cliff. His head hurt, and it was slightly difficult to stand. But that sensation went away quickly, and Shadow could recognize his surroundings. He looked up, to see the Citadel on the other side of the valley, with a massive fiery cyclone right above the Citadel's peak, which also had green lightning coming out of it. The aftermath of the explosion didn't look too pretty.

Shadow then walked away, to suddenly find a small area with two familiar figures. It was Alyx, along with the robot that had allowed both Gordon and Shadow into the Citadel. On closer inspection, the robot was mostly composed out of random machine parts, but was at least two metres high. The robot was searching in a pile of rubble, as Alyx spoke. "He has to be somewhere… Any luck over there, Dog?"

Dog cleared the rubble away, to pull out another figure – Gordon Freeman.

Alyx was unaware of this. "Dog, I think I found something… Drop what you're doing, and help me over here- Oh my God! Gordon!"

Dog put Gordon down, and Alyx suddenly gave Gordon a hug. "Alyx, I'm okay…"

"Thank God you are… I've been so worried! Oh! The Gravity Gun… Give it to him, Dog."

Dog gave Gordon his Gravity Gun back, when Alyx let go, which was glowing orange, as normal. "Dog's happy to see you… I can tell. Dog, go set up the monitor, so we can get in touch with my dad."

Dog nodded, and jumped over a ledge, to another area. "He must be worried sick about us… He was so sure that I wouldn't find you here. The Citadel's really coming apart…"

Alyx suddenly looked confused. "But... I still don't know how we got here. All I remember… Is Breen suddenly disappearing… The explosion, and then… I heard Vortigaunts. Next thing I knew, Dog was digging me out of the rubble. It's all so strange…"

"So that's what those things were…"

Shadow jumped down, and walked over to the trio. Alyx was relieved to see him as well. "Shadow! You're safe as well… You saw them? I could only heard them…"

"Strange, you looked perfectly aware of their presence. I don't know what exactly happened, but let's not dwell on it right now. The Citadel's peak looks as good as piece of crap at the moment."

Gordon nodded, as he looked up. "This area may not be safe…"

"Alyx? You there?"

Alyx suddenly smiled. "That's my dad! We've been trying to reach him for hours! Wait until he hears that we found you guys!"

Alyx suddenly went over to a ledge, and then climbed over it, and Dog leapt over. Gordon and Shadow followed, as Gordon used the Gravity Gun to create a bridge, while Shadow jumped over. They soon got to a screen. Alyx tried to fix the communication screen, while Dog helped. The face of Eli Vance appeared on the screen. "Dad?"

"Alyx, where are you? Oh, please tell me you're out of the city…"

"Well, not quite yet…"

"WHAT?"

"But look who we found!"

"Gordon? Shadow? You found them? I don't believe it…"

Gordon smiled. "Good to see you okay as well, my old friend."

"Listen, you three have to get out of the city! The Citadel could blow at any moment!"

A rather old scientist moved his head into view, on the screen. "There's no doubt that it will, I'm afraid… Our sensors detect the process going towards a dark-energy flare… Anyone in the vicinity will be subjected to energetic events that go beyond my powers of speculation."

"Isaac, please…"

"The ravages to cellular material are unimaginable."

"Kleiner, stop!"

Eli was looking very worried. Dr. Kleiner tried to address his fears. "Oh, I'm sorry, Eli… I'm sure there's no need for undue alarm, I'm sure Alyx is well out of harm's way by now."

Shadow interjected. "Actually, we're still at the Citadel, I'm afraid."

"What? Oh, dear, there's really no time! The core is on the brink of collapse! You can't get far enough, unless… Nothing short of a brief intervention in the core can delay it…"

Alyx inquired, "You mean… Going in?"

"Yes… But it's too dangerous to consider! The chamber will be bathed in radiation!"

Gordon smiled. "Well, lucky I happen to have my hazard suit on me."

Alyx nodded. "If we found a way into the Citadel, maybe we could…"

"ALYX, NO!"

"But, dad…"

Eli was even more worried. "Izzy, talk some sense into her!"

"I'm sorry, Eli, but I don't see any other way. It could help us evacuate more citizens…"

Eli turned around, as Alyx spoke. "Dad, we can do this!"

"Okay, Alyx… Okay… But promise me… Promise me that you won't take a single unnecessary risk."

"I promise… I love you."

"I love you too, honey."

The screen went off, and Shadow noticed the wreckage of the Gunship in the way of their path. Before Dog could lift it, Shadow lifted it for him. Alyx was rather impressed. "Nice one."

"Trust me, I can flip a bus without breaking a sweat."

Dog held it up when Shadow had to follow Gordon and Alyx through. They soon found a flat area along the way, and Dog came up with the bright idea of throwing a car over to the other side, into the Citadel, with the other three inside. After an accidental roller-coaster ride, they soon ended up having to make their way through the corridors of the Citadel, through a few hazards. The inside was in a far worse condition than the outside. Soon, they came to a room that seemed rather different from all the others. There was a single monitor, and a large tube with a white object going up on the other side of the room.

Alyx was intrigued by what was going on in there. She messed with the console, trying to find a route to the core, but ended up finding a recording of Dr. Breen. At first, they thought Breen was still alive, but it was really an old recording. Then, a mysterious creature appeared on all of the screens.

Another white thing came up on the tube, which seemed to be carrying something. It looked a bit like an octopus. Shadow remarked, "Do the Combine always model their vehicles after other creatures?"

Then, without warning, Gordon, Alyx and Shadow were being attacked via the mind. Shadow tried to mentally fight back, with little use. "Dammit, what's going on?"

The mind attack quickly stopped. Alyx was still in shock. "What… What was that?"

Gordon sat down, trying to recover as well. "That was unprovoked… I wonder… Breen…?"

Shadow nodded. "He did speak of a host body…"

They kept going, and Gordon accidentally ended up in a security field, but it ended up changing the Gravity Gun to its 'Dark Energy' form, once again. Soon, Alyx and Shadow were covering him, while he used energy balls to power the machines that created the energy bridges.

They then reached an elevator, which Gordon activated, and used the Gravity Gun to knock away falling debris.

Eventually, they reached a chamber similar to the control room at the peak of the Citadel. Combine soldiers were in their way, but were quickly taken out. Alyx went over to the console. "I don't get it. Why are they hanging around? It looks like they were deliberately trying to blow the reactor… But why?"

The window opened, to show the core. "The core looks pretty far gone... I hope Dr. Kleiner was right about this."

Shadow looked at Gordon. "Look's like you're up, Gordon."

They quickly found an elevator, and Alyx called it up from the core entry. "The readings are off the charts… Let's hope we can reactivate the contamination field. I hope you know what you're doing, Gordon."

The elevator arrived. "Well, here's your elevator. Gordon… I wish there was more I could do to help."

"Don't worry, Alyx. I'll be fine."

"Hurry back." Alyx placed her hand on the door, as Gordon went down.

Shadow stared at the dark energy core. "I've never seen something like this. The Combine's technology must be incredible, in order to achive something like this…"

"Except they haven't been able to use local teleportation. My dad and me have been working on a system that takes little energy, by using the boarder world, Zen, as a 'dimensional slingshot'. The Combine 'tunnel' through dimensions to get to their destination, so you saw how much energy it takes – an entire reactor!"

Shadow nodded, and noticed another console. "Maybe we can get some information…"

"Good idea."

Alyx tinkered with the console, and was shocked to see what appeared on the screen. "So that's what they've been planning… The destruction of the Citadel is just a side effect. They're attempting to send a transmission packet to the off world forces… Wait, what's this?"

She quickly came up with a video, showing Judith Mossman, in a corridor that had ice all over it. "I'm pretty sure the project survived intact. We don't know how it could disrupt our work, if the Combine discovered it. We do need to take a close look at it, but I should, of course, be able to get a better opinion within a few hours. If the site is where we think it is, then it should be no more than-I'm going to cut this short. We seem to have been spotted."

Alyx and Shadow watched, till it finally showed Mossman fleeing with other resistance soldiers, and a Hunter synth breaking in. Shadow shook his head, as the tape ended. "Sounds important… The Combine must want to send off that transmission packet badly, if they are willing to destroy the Citadel in the process."

Alyx nodded, and started copying the packet to a small hard disk. Then, Gordon had suddenly found his way back up, after activating the contamination field, which could only delay the core's destruction. The Gravity Gun was back to normal, as well. Shadow looked at Gordon. "Well, look who's back. I assume you got the containment field working?"

Alyx smiled. "Gordon! Good work, it won't last forever, but it bought us some time. By the way, while you were in there, we did some poking around…"

Alyx explained everything that she and Shadow had discovered just before, especially about the packet, and the recording with Mossman. The packet had finished copying to the hard drive, so Alyx took it out. "We've got to get this and the packet to my dad and Dr. Kleiner, right away. Whatever it is, it's probably bad news for all of us. I've got it all, right here."

Then, an alarm went off. Shadow frowned. "We'll have to get out of here…"

"I've secured the exit elevator. It's this way!"

They quickly got to the elevator. Alyx opened it, and they managed to get in before Combine soldiers arrived. Alyx sighed with relief. "Looks like they don't want us reading our mail. This elevator takes us to a train platform – if we can hitch a ride on a train, it should take us straight out of the city. Hey… The Gravity Gun's back to normal. Well, it was fun while it lasted."

She took out her pistol, as the elevator almost reached the bottom. They soon managed to take out several soldiers in their way, using rollermines that Alyx had re-programmed. They then got on the train, before more soldiers could arrive. The inside was slightly foreboding, and Shadow sensed that something wasn't right.

"Well, that was a nice clean getaway," Alyx remarked. "They're not to thrilled about us having the packet. All things considered, I think-"

She suddenly noticed what was in the pods on the sides of the train. "Stalkers! This is a stalker car…"

There was one pod open, to show a humanoid shaped-head, disfigured with metal, in a way that made it look a little creepy. "God damn the Combine… This is what happens if you resist… Or if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time…"

Shadow was suddenly angry. To do such horrific things to other living beings… The Combine was far worse than the Black Arms.

Alyx sighed, as she closed the lid on the pod. "I hope you don't remember who you are… Let's see where this train is headed."

Alyx checked the console on the other side of the train. "With any luck, we'll be out of the city before it's too late. Thank God we're not on foot."

Shadow smiled. "Please… I can run faster than this train can."

Alyx chuckled. "Looks like you've saved our lives, again…"

Suddenly, the train rumbled. Everyone wondered what was going on, before the crash…

"BRACE YOURSELF!"

Soon, Gordon came to, finding himself being screamed in the face by a stalker. He gripped the Gravity Gun's handles, and went over to the other side of the train. He found Alyx being forced up against a wall by a stalker pod, and Shadow was trying to get it off. Gordon forced it off with the Gravity Gun, and blasted the emergency door open. The trio came out, and crawled through a hole in the wall. Alyx stood against the wall, trying to catch her breath. Gordon sighed. "On foot, it is…"

"We're in the same boat as the other refugees, now… On foot to a train station."

When Alyx was ready, the trio forced their way through the underground network of roads that had been wrecked for years. Headcrab zombies were also a common occurrence, and the occasional group of antlions. They eventually found an elevator, which they used to hitch a ride up to the surface. Well, not before they had to hold of a horde of zombies.

Alyx remarked, as the elevator went up, "That, was close."

They soon were fighting their way through the ruined streets, being attacked by weakened Combine defenses, and all sorts of other nasties while being aided by occasional resistance soldiers. Before they knew it, they found themselves at a temporary resistance outpost in an apartment building. A citizen came out the door, when the trio had finished off the last of a group of Combine soldiers. Alyx was confused. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you have gotten out of the city?"

"We're trying, but the Combine aren't making it easy. We're trying to find enough people to force our way through to the train station. Other people are gathering in a safe house nearby. And the cavalry aren't doing a thing to help us!"

"Can you take us there?"

As it happened, Barney Calhoun, one of Gordon's longtime friends, and a former colleague from Black Mesa, commanded the outpost. As it happened, Sonic was there as well. Barney was certainly happy to see Gordon and Alyx. As he opened the door for them, he asked, "Gordon? Alyx? I don't believe it! How'd you get out of the Citadel?"

Alyx shrugged. "We're not exactly sure."

Shadow smiled, as he saw Sonic. "Let's just say we had assistance. Vortigaunts had something to do with it."

Sonic gave Shadow the thumbs up. Alyx then asked Barney, "What about you?"

"I'm fine, I'm just trying to-"

"THEY FOUND US!"

A city scanner banged on the windows, before exploding. Barney frowned. "Aw, hell! Gordon, were you followed again?"

"Barney, let's just say we have something important, and the Combine doesn't like it."

Alyx gave an explanation. "We found a message on our way out of the Citadel. We don't know what it is yet, but it's so important, they've been hounding us the whole way here."

"Well, that puts pressure on things. We've got to get moving… Oh, Gordon, Alyx, you haven't been introduced to one of our new allies. I was wondering what the hell was going on when Shadow went after Gordon. This is Sonic the Hedgehog. Oh, Shadow, Sonic told me your name earlier. I'm Barney Calhoun. Nice to meet you."

Sonic nodded. "Nice to meet you guys!"

Suddenly, Sonic and Gordon looked at each other, and blinked. "Do I know you from somewhere, Sonic?"

"I've only seen you in a dream… On a tram with this weird guy with a briefcase."

Gordon coughed. "Wait, I thought I was imagining things when I saw you!"

Sonic rubbed his forehead in confusion. "Darn, this is confusing…"

Shadow chuckled, and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Keep your mind on the current situation."

Barney continued. "You know about the evacuation trains, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, we'll have to cut a path through every chickenshit metrocop in the city who has second thoughts about defending City 17."

Alyx had an idea. "If Gordon, Shadow and take a separate route, we can draw attention from you guys. That'll allow you guys to fill the trains up before we get there."

"Really? Well, if you say so. Come over here…"

Barney lead the group to a bridge between buildings, which were raised. "The safest path is over the rooftops. You three head down there. I'll hit the streets and gather everyone who's been waiting. We'll meet you there."

"Sounds good. Let's go."

He pulled a crowbar out of the gears, which lowered the bridge. Shadow was suddenly stopped by Sonic, who quickly handed him another Chaos Emerald. "I happened to find this. You'll probably need this."

Shadow nodded, and dashed after Alyx. As Alyx and Shadow went across, Barney talked to Gordon quickly, and gave him the crowbar. "Go ahead, she's waiting for you, you lucky dog! We'll meet you at the train station!"

Shadow held his emeralds, smiling. "Time to stir up hell, guys…"

Gordon and Alyx looked at each other. "That doesn't sound good…"

The trio was soon attacked by a Gunship that was rather annoyingly hard to kill. They quickly broke through defenses in a hospital, found a good place to take out the Gunship, and proceeded to fight their way through the rest of the hospital. They soon arrived near the train station, where Barney was waiting. "There you are… I was wondering when you were gonna show up."

Alyx sighed in relief. "Sorry to keep you waiting, the Combine's on our tail. What's the plan?"

Barney explained, as they walked down the small slope. "We're sending folks out in groups. Like I said, if you can keep them safe and provide cover, we might have a chance of reaching the escape trains. Sonic will keep cover out here, there might be a few others coming."

"Sounds good, send out the first group!"

Gordon, Alyx and Shadow covered the first group. They quickly reached the station, and Alyx stayed at a machinegun to protect the entrance from Combine soldiers. Gordon and Shadow kept taking groups to the station, and the Combine attacks became more and more fierce. Soon enough, and APC pulled up outside, and started firing rockets at anything that moved. Before Gordon could get out his RPG launcher, the APC was blown up by two arrivals, Mega Man and Arioso, much to his surprise. There was hardly any time for introductions, though, until the last group was at the station.

Soon, the last group had gotten to the station. Barney asked, "Are you guys coming, or what?"

Alyx shook her head. "They're looking for us, not you, Barney. We'll draw their attention away from you, so the others can escape. We'll grab another train when you're in the clear."

"Well, don't take too long about it, yeah?"

Shadow nodded. "We've got time."

Suddenly, he noticed that someone was missing. "Hang on, Arioso seems to have gone missing. You guys prepare the next train, I'll go find him."

As he sped off, Alyx opened the door leading to the next track. Alyx and Gordon said their goodbyes to Barney, as his train sped off. Gordon then started opening a gate that was shut, which Alyx quickly crawled through, before a Strider showed up, and destroyed the wheel with a blue laser beam. Gordon took cover, then dashed through the alternate route that the Strider had accidentally created. He kept going, till he found a platform with RPG shells and a little cover. He wasted no time attacking the Strider, till it was finished off by Arioso, who had some out of the blue. "Surprise, sucker!"

Shadow arrived just after. "Please, try to stay with us."

Alyx smiled, as she walked up to Gordon, who was climbing down a ladder. "Fantastic job, Gordon! I think you're my new hero."

Arioso was suddenly annoyed. "HEY! I helped!"

Alyx chuckled. "I don't believe it… I think we're going to actually get out of here! Now, let's get this train moving. Jump on!"

Shadow and Arioso got on the roof, while Gordon and Alyx got on the side of the train. Gordon sighed, as the train started to move. "Thank God, we're finally getting out of this city!"

The train sped out of the city, and the group watched as the packet seemed to be sent. A large group of the same white synths that had used the mind attack in the Citadel flew away from the critical building, dispersing, and escaping to parts unknown. The Citadel then finally exploded, creating a massive shockwave that covered miles away from the blast area, and the train happened to be in it. The group held on, as the train toppled over.

Shadow opened his eyes, as the train stopped. He was still hanging on to the side. He climbed up, and noticed Alyx hanging for dear life, Gordon trying to reach her. "Gordon… I'm slipping!"

"Alyx, hang on!"

Alyx was trying, but one of her hands slipped off. Gordon feared the worst, but when Alyx fell, she ended up landed on what was quickly recognized to be Balrog, thanks to his size and uncanny ability to fly. "Gotcha!"

Gordon looked at Shadow and Arioso, who both shrugged, as a rescue party suddenly arrived…

-------------------------------------------------

Soon enough, the group was back at the base. Alyx was quickly reunited with her father, and Barney was there to greet Gordon. A massive round of introductions ensured, and preparations for the celebration were underway.

Barney smiled, as he walked up to Odessa Cubbage, who was talking to Arngrim. Cubbage was surprised to see him. "Cubbage, did you take command of this outpost with my permission?"

Arngrim looked at Barney. "Oh, so you're the real commander?"

"Well, one of the resistance leaders, actually. I'll let this one slide, since you did a pretty good job."

Gordon suddenly walked up, as well. "By the way, Odessa, I heard from some troops that you took credit for me taking out that Gunship at your outpost. "

Cubbage was rather speechless. "Well… Um… You see…"

"Forget it. Personally, I'd much rather relax. I've been through hell and back, and I really need a rest."

Barney put his arm over Gordon's shoulder. "Yep! We've achieved a great victory, Gordon! The Combine's hold on Earth has practically shattered, especially after the weird stuff that happened yesterday, Kleiner told me all about it. You'll never believe this, but this world is almost as it was before the Combine first came! The only Combine city that was on Earth now, was City 17, and it's gone! The human race is free!"

"Yep… And you still owe me a beer, Barney!"

Barney laughed. "Of course! It's all on me!"

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The celebration took place at Station Square. The beach was alive; fireworks were going off in the distance, a lot of food on the table, and everyone was having the time of their lives, especially the citizens and resistance members, who had no chances to party, under the rule of the Combine.

Sonic sat alone on the beach. For some reason, he didn't feel like partying. He had thoughts about the recent events, and that his dream somehow happened. He didn't know why, or how, but it was just so odd.

"Hey, don't mind if I join you?"

Gordon Freeman, with normal street clothes, sat down next to Sonic. He looked off into the horizon, smiling. "You said you saw me in a dream? Are you that sure it was a dream?"

"I don't know. It's just all so confusing to me."

Suddenly, a young woman walked up to the two. She was a blonde, with an elegant light blue dress. "What you saw, did happen, Sonic the Hedgehog…"

Sonic blinked, as he looked at the girl. "Okay…"

"The only reason you do not remember is because he sealed those memories away. They are coming back, and they foretell events that have already happened, and will happen. You will meet many beings from around this world. Some will fight alongside you, some will fight against you."

Gordon suddenly spoke. "He… You speak of that man?"

The girl nodded. "The Vortigaunts have broken his grip on you. Even his power has limits. One day, you may even be able to challenge him, Gordon Freeman."

As she walked away, she finished with a final sentence. "My name is Ingrid. We will meet again, someday."

Suddenly, a can of beer landed in Gordon's lap. He saw Barney holding a can of his own. "Here's the beer I owe ya!"

"Cheers."

They both drank at the same time.

----------------------------------------------

Akuma sat on a rock, meditating. He let nothing disturb him. However, there was one thing that caught his interest. He could sense a disturbance, a long way away, not on the Earth, but in the sky.

He got up, and looked in the direction of the disturbance. "A restless spirit I can sense. Only a great fighter can put it to rest, and it shall be me who shall do it…"

TO BE CONTINUED 

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**_Author's Notes: _**FINALLY. After playing Episode One at the same time while writing this (Most of it, anyway), I feel relieved. I've brought the longest chapter I have ever written, City 17 has been blown to smithereens, and a historic moment – after two decades, Barney finally buys Gordon a beer.

Mind you, the rest of the story will compose of cleaning up any mess that the combination left behind. The next chapter will have a familiar fist master pitted up against a very powerful magician, who pretty much went insane thanks to a jealous king. "Battle of the Gods"… Bah, I'm tired. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

- **_Joshua "Cronosonic" Braico_**


	9. Chapter 9: Battle of the Gods

_**Chapter 9: Battle of the Gods**_

_Even death cannot stop a restless spirit._

_The spirit I speak of wields great power, and he lost control of it long ago._

_He will only stop when his spirit is finally put to rest,_

_And I shall be the one who performs the task._

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"What the hell is up with these bloody tremors?"

Barney Calhoun wasn't very happy. The first chance of sleep he gets after the overthrow of the Combine, and he was kept up by mysterious tremors. The feeling was mutual among everyone else in the hotel, as not many had been able to sleep well during the tremors.

Barney knocked on the door of Gordon's room, slightly tired. "Gordon! Did you get some shuteye?"

"Thanks a lot, Barney! You woke me up from my dream!"

Gordon opened the door, looking as if he had a good night's sleep. He yawned, as Barney inquired, "How can you sleep with these tremors?"

"What tremors?"

Alyx poked her head out from a doorway. "Gordon, don't you remember tremors happening all night?"

"Even if I did, nothing could stop me from getting a good night's sleep. I've had 2 sleepless nights!"

Gordon rubbed his eyes, and Alyx shook her head, smiling. "I suppose we should talk with the others later, and figure out what the hell is going on."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Conveniently enough, the hotel had a rather large conference room. It was packed, but everyone managed to find his or her own personal space, minus Balrog, who had to listen through a wall. There was also a long-range communication by Dr. Light, as he was unable to attend. Dr. Light started off the meeting, calming everyone down. "You're all wondering about the sudden occurrences of these 'tremors'. Fortunately, I have managed to locate the source. Strangely enough, the source is in the sky."

A floating island appeared as a hologram, in the middle of the table. Sonic looked at the hologram carefully. "Is that… Angel Island? Looks different than I remember it."

Quote suddenly spoke up. "That island is familiar as well, but it's different from what I remember of it."

Quote and Sonic looked at each other, blinking. Dr. Light suddenly cleared up the confusion. "This is the only 'floating island' in existence. The two islands you speak of could have been fused into one, larger island, during the space-time distortion, that fused all of our dimensions, that took place two days ago."

Tails frowned. "I don't think Knuckles is going to like that…"

Quote suddenly enquired to Dr. Light, "That reminds me… Do you know anything about the Sakamoto family?"

"I did hear a research team had just arrived at the island, and the name belonged to a few members."

Curly smiled. "Finally, I'll actually get to be introduced to them…"

Barney spoke up. "Then, what the hell are we waiting for? Let's get over there and get the problem fixed!"

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As the carriers arrived on the island's 'shore', Sonic whistled, as he examined the landscape from afar. "Hey, this island still looks good!"

He suddenly noticed a settlement not too far away. He could also see a shrine in the middle of the settlement. "Guys, let's go over there first! I think I can see the Master Emerald shrine!"

They soon got to the edge of the settlement, and saw that rabbit-like creatures populated it. Sonic had seen these before in his dream, in cages, that had been cheering Quote on. Quote nudged Sonic on the shoulder. "They're called Mimigas. They've populated this island for who-knows how long…"

The Mimigas were watching the large group, as they walked through the quaint settlement. No electrical technology as far as the eye can see, other than outside a group of large tents. They arrived at the shrine, where a red Echidna was telling a group of Mimiga children stories, throwing punches in midair with his spiked gloves. Right behind him, at the top of the shrine, was a very large, green emerald, which was obviously the Master Emerald.

He saw the group, along with Sonic. "Well, look who's come to visit! How are ya doing, Sonic?"

Sonic rushed up, and patted Knuckles on the shoulder. "You're in a good mood today, Knuckles!"

Knuckles looked back at the Mimiga children, smiling. "I've been getting at lot of company, lately! The Mimigas set up a new village around the Master Emerald shrine."

He kneeled down, and spoke to the children. "Say hi to Sonic! He's a friend of mine."

The children happily greeted Sonic, who smiled back. Knuckles looked at the others (At least those who were not familiar to him), saying, "Who exactly are these guys?"

"We were wondering the same thing, Knuckles."

A Japanese woman in a lab coat, and with green hair, approached the shrine, followed by a young man also with green hair, and a lab coat, as well as a Mimiga with a blue sweater. Quote ran forward. "I had a feeling we would find you here!"

The Mimiga came forward, smiling. "I was wondering where you went after you took out the core!"

"You didn't need to worry, Sue… By the way, I never really told you guys, as I had amnesia at the time, but my name is Quote."

He turned around, looking at the rest of the group. "Guys, this is the Sakamoto family."

The woman bowed. "My name is Momorin. These two are my son and daughter, Kazuma and Sue."

Kazuma waved, and Sue chuckled. "I was changed into this form by a witch. Long story."

A quick round of introductions began, and ended right before a small bang was heard. Smoke came out of one of the tents, and an elderly scientist walked out, coughing. "Blast, the machine doesn't work!"

Alyx suddenly came up. "I might be able to help with that."

"Thank you. My name is Professor Booster, by the way."

The other scientists in the group decided to help the professor as well. Everyone else started touring the village, but Sonic, Tails, Blaze, Quote, Curly and Ryu stayed at the shrine to tell stories. While waiting his turn, Ryu noticed something moving near the Master Emerald. He rushed up the stairs, much to the surprise of the others, and tried to attack the intruder with a flying kick. The intruder rolled out of the way. It was a bat girl, with a rather 'interesting' sneaking suit. "Not bad… You indeed are the legendary World Warrior I've heard about."

Knuckles rushed up the steps, furious. "ROUGE! You're trying to steal the Master Emerald again!"

Rouge sighed. "I was only trying to make a small attempt before I resume my true mission. You know about the tremors, right?"

Knuckles suddenly smiled. "I'll let it slide, if you help tell stories to the kids."

Rouge looked down the steps at the Mimiga children, smiling. "Sure, why not?"

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Sue stood in a large capsule-like machine, anxious. In the second machine, was a Mimiga in a lab coat. Eli Vance enquired to Professor Booster, "What seems to be the problem?"

"You'll see."

The machine was activated, and both Mimigas stepped out of the tubes, except they weren't Mimigas anymore. They were both human, spitting images of their Mimiga forms. Sue had green hair, like her mother and brother, although she still had the X shaped 'scars'. The second human, Itoh, had blue hair. Both of them suddenly sneezed, and they suddenly changed back into their Mimiga forms.

Eggman was already messing with one of the machines. "Minor side effect, we might be able to fix this up."

Both machines had been modified, and the experiment attempted once more. This time, neither Sue nor Itoh would sneeze, so they were forced to. Dr. Kleiner spoke up. "We've included a bit of an extra thing in this. It might come in handy. Sue, can you try thinking about becoming a Mimiga again?"

Sue nodded, wondering why. She suddenly found herself changed into a Mimiga once more. In shock, she thought about becoming a human again, and she changed back. Kleiner was satisfied. "It's a voluntary transformation. You never know when you might need it."

Sue smiled. "Thank you. It was about time we were able to change back for longer than a few seconds…"

Professor Booster then proposed, "I suggest we organize a team to investigate the source of the tremors. That is what you are here for, right?"

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As the group gathered around the shrine, Knuckles gave a quick explanation on what he had seen last night. "I was on duty, as usual. A strange ghost suddenly attacked me. He said his name was 'Ballos', I think… Also, not long before you guys came, a human with red hair and a black gi appeared, apparently looking for something. He tested my fighting skill, and left."

Quote and Curly weren't very happy. "Oh, great. Ballos? We killed him, and now we have to go back to the seal chamber to take him out AGAIN?"

Ryu also knew who the red-haired man happened to be. "Akuma… He must be looking for Ballos."

It was soon agreed that Sonic, Shadow, Knuckles, Rouge, Mario, Ryu, Gordon, Blaze, Quote, Curly, Rayman, Link and Arioso were to go and investigate. But the question was, where was the Seal Chamber?

"I think I can help you find my uncle."

Everyone looked up at the Master Emerald, to see a woman with a black dress and a staff, sitting on it. Knuckles rushed up to her, annoyed. "HEY! Get off the Master Emerald!"

The woman got off. "Fine, if you insist."

Balrog suddenly landed next to her. "MISERY! What have you been doing lately?"

"Not much in particular. Look, you broke the curse, Quote… And I'm just returning the favor."

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Akuma stepped into the huge Seal Chamber, looking around. He could sense Ballos. But the ghost wouldn't show himself. "Ballos! Show yourself!"

A slightly transpherent figure appeared, right in front of a throne. His eyes were closed. He was wearing a white and green robe, with a red eye on the front, like as if he was some sort of priest. He didn't seem that human. "Greetings, stranger. You wish to confront me?"

Akuma stood silent, his face clearly showing his answer. Ballos smiled. "I have died, but even my magic will not be silenced through death. Will you put my soul to rest?"

His eyes opened, showing pupil-less eyes, one red, one white. He had a sadistic grin. "…Or will this room be your grave?"

Akuma got into a fighting stance. "I am Akuma, the Supreme Master of the Fist! I will defeat you."

"Very well, Fist Master! HAVE AT YOU!"

Ballos dashed at Akuma, electricity surging through his arms. Akuma prepared a Gou Hadouken, in retaliation.

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The investigation team walked through a long-ruined corridor. It was it all hell had broken loose a while ago. Misery was leading them through, but suddenly stopped. "I can sense a battle… My uncle is fighting someone…"

Ryu could sense Akuma's evil intent. "Akuma! He found the chamber!"

Misery spoke again. "I can sense someone else, as well…"

They soon reached the Seal Chamber, to see Ballos battling Akuma. Neither side was giving up, and dark powers clashed. "PERISH, AKUMA!"

"I shall not perish!"

They separated, and started charging projectiles. Akuma was charging a Messatsu Gou Hadouken with one hand, while Ballos appeared to be preparing lightening magic. Both attacks slammed into each other, causing a massive shockwave. Akuma used this opportunity to glide over towards Ballos, who made the mistake of charging at Akuma.

When Akuma had grabbed Ballos, Ryu knew it was all over. But the finisher had been delayed, as Ballos spoke, still in Akuma's vice-grip.

"I have lost… Impressive, I underestimated your power. And you did not fight with your full strength! So, finish me!"

"I shall send you to the afterlife!"

A bright flash blinded everyone in the room, and as the flash subsided, everyone could see Akuma standing, with the kanji for 'ten' or 'heaven' on his back, and a massive version of the kanji engraved on the chamber's floor. Akuma walked away, satisfied. Sonic simply shrugged. "Well, that was easier than we thought."

However, up on an unseen ledge, Bass had been watching the battle. He smiled to himself. "Maybe Akuma can help me become stronger…"

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After a short stay, the visitors were ready to leave. Knuckles had cheerfully said that they were welcome on the island anytime. But when they got back to Station Square, it was what Barney Calhoun proposed, that surprised everyone.

"Now, you might think I'm a bit crazy, but with all the stuff happening lately, along with this 'dimensional combination' that's happened, I reckon we should be ready for anything, whether it would be the Combine coming back, or something else entirely! I say we band together, forge a new organization aiming to promote peace all over this new Earth. There are many things we haven't discovered that the combination has caused, so we can do our best to clear up the mess!"

Everyone agreed that this idea could work. In the bat of an eye, a new organization, called Chaos Combination, was born. The headquarters for the organization would be in Station Square. But as soon as the organization was 'set up', nobody had expected so much support from other organizations, government or non. Plans for a HQ was underway, and everyone expected the near future to be smooth sailing.

Gordon gave Barney a pat on the back, as they left the hotel to go to the nearest bar. "Things might actually change for the better, and that's all because of you."

"Really, Gordon, someone else would have thought of it, even if I hadn't."

Gordon chuckled, as they walked. "Funny, back at Black Mesa, you were a security guard. When we met again more than a week ago, you were a leader of the resistance! And now, this. You're a born leader, Barney. Before, you never got the chance to show it. Come on, I'll be the one buying the beer this time. You deserve it."

**_TO BE CONTINUED_**

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**_Author's Notes: _**God, the chapter starts with Barney, and it ends with Barney! (Well, if you don't count Akuma's prologue.)

Next, we have more introductions for characters from game series that have appeared in Sonic's 'dream'. It's gonna get interesting…

By the way, I've noticed that this fanfic is more popular than my other ones. Sure, it may not exactly be as popular as some other fics, but at least I'm satisfied at it got to the 1000 hits mark. Okay, half of those hits came from the first chapter. I can guess that some people seemed to stop reading further chapters at that point, for some reason. Maybe people have WAY too high standards, these days. I don't know.

By the way, my idea from chapter 7 is still there. If anyone wants to discuss it, or the fic itself, with me, (Over the few methods of online communication available to me) don't be afraid to do so. I'm always happy to talk with people, normally because I have little else to do.

- **_Joshua "Cronosonic" Braico_**


	10. Chapter 10: Hunters and Princesses

**Chapter 10: Hunters and Princesses**

**_Author's Notes: _**Just be wary, when two characters are going to appear, one of them happens to not exactly be liked by a particular fanbase. Please, reserve judgment until my explanation at the end of the chapter.

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_When we heard of the formation of the organization, 'Chaos Combination', I had a feeling things would never be the same._

_My name is X. I am a top-level Maverick Hunter, fighting to preserve peace._

_Yes, I do think problems can be solved without fighting. But when I need to, I will fight._

_But to meet your own creator in the flesh, along with your 'siblings'… That's something else entirely._

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"I wonder what Signas wants to discuss…"

Mega Man X walked down the hallway, Zero alongside him. It was a typical day in the Maverick Hunter HQ, reploids and humans rushing about to get some work done. Signas had called both X and Zero up to the Command Room. It seemed rather urgent.

Zero shrugged. "I'm not sure it's that important. Ever since we finally got rid of Sigma, there haven't been many Maverick attacks. It's starting to get boring around here…"

X sighed, as they reached the Command Room. Signas was waiting for them, Alia standing beside him. "Ah, about time you showed up. I need to discuss something rather urgent with you."

Zero folded his arms. "I was thinking it was something minor, sir."

Signas shook his head, and sat down in his chair. "Well, you were mistaken. Have you heard of the organization, 'Chaos Combination'?"

X replied, "Yes… It was formed yesterday, I believe."

"Indeed. With the intent of cleaning up the recent mess caused by the recent time-space phenomenon, they are composed of heroes, scientists, warriors, and more. Organizations worldwide are helping the organization, as it has potential to change the Earth for the better."

Zero raised an eyebrow. "So… You mean we can help, as well?"

Signas nodded, as Alia continued for him. "You'll go to their temporary headquarters, to negotiate. Firstly, you'll have to establish communications with here and their HQ, so we can negotiate further."

X nodded. "We understand. We'll be heading there as soon as possible!"

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Sonic stood outside the old apartment building that was Chaos Combination's temporary HQ. The building itself looked like nobody had been living in it for quite a while. He was ready to take a run, but he stopped, when he saw a car pull up. Two people were in it, both human. One was clearly younger than the other; Sonic could guess that he was about eighteen years old. "Grandfather, who exactly do you want to meet?"

The grandfather chuckled, as he got out. "Friends of mine. They're working here, currently."

The younger human suddenly saw Sonic. As he got out, he spoke. "Hello. You must be Sonic the Hedgehog. I've heard about what you can do, but I've never got the chance to meet you before… My name is Christopher Thorndyke. This is my grandfather, Chuck."

Chuck waved, as he got to the door. Chris was suddenly in a hurry to follow him. Sonic smiled. "Nice to meet you, too!"

As both Thorndykes entered the building, Sonic shot off down the street.

As Chuck and Chris got to the R&D area, they saw the current CC science team talking among themselves. The room had the same feel as on the exterior of the building, the walls and ceiling slightly decayed. When they turned to look, Dr. Kliener was quick to recognize them. "My goodness! Chuck, it's been a long time!"

Chuck laughed, as both of them walked up to each other. "Indeed, Isaac! I can still remember our M.I.T days. I see you're working with other great minds… Like Dr. Eli Vance, and Gordon Freeman, am I not mistaken?"

Gordon, in his lab coat, smiled. "You got that right."

Chris walked up, about to speak. But Chuck was quick to introduce. "By the way, this is my grandson, Chris. He's excelled in his studies, and well on his way to being an accomplished scientist!"

Chris laughed sheepishly. "Chuck, I'm not THAT good, really…"

Alyx suddenly walked in. "Stop trying to kid yourself. You should be glad that you have talent."

Dog came in as well, following Alyx. What was different about him, was that there was a brand new white armor plate on his left shoulder. Chris was impressed. "Did you build him yourself?"

Alyx smiled, shaking her head. "Nah. My dad built Dog, to protect me. He was about this high, at first." She had her hand at four feet above the ground, to show. "I've been building him up ever since."

Eli chuckled. "She's been doing a good job of it, hasn't she?"

Dog came forward towards Chris, affectionately. Chris petted him on the 'Combine Scanner'-like head, interested. "He is rather impressive… I never thought I'd see such AI like this."

Dr. Light suddenly came forward. "Well, in that case, you'll be amazed when you see the creations of me and my partner."

Mega Man suddenly walked in, wondering what was going on. Light smiled, as he looked towards Rock. "Ah, he comes Rock! Chris, meet Rock, one of our first creations."

Chris was shocked. "WHOA! He looks so real…"

Mega Man smiled, as he shook hands with Chris. "Yeah, many people are trying to get used to seeing Light bots like me…"

Soon, there was quick round of introductions. Chris was blown away it came to what he saw that day. By the time he and Chuck were ready to go home, Chris had made a decision. "Grandfather, maybe I can join this organization as well."

"Of course, Chris. I think you'd do well to join them."

Suddenly, Sonic rushed up to them, smiling. "Heya, Chris! How was the tour?"

Chris laughed. "It was great! So many things I thought I'd never see!"

Sonic gave him the thumbs up. "Glad you like what you saw! Is it me, or did you actually consider joining us?"

Chris nodded. "Yes. I want to help make this world a better place!"

"I'm sure you will, Chris."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soon after, X and Zero arrived at the building. Zero was not impressed. "Jeez, this place doesn't look much like a HQ."

"Zero, it's temporary. With all the robot construction workers, the HQ will be ready in a few days."

X knocked on the door, expectantly. And who else to open it, but Arioso? "Hi, welcome to the Chaos Combination temporary headquarters-"

He saw Zero, and blinked. "Zero, 'bro? Aren't you supposed to be in a capsule?"

Zero was caught off guard. "BRO? I'm not your bro!"

Dr. Light came to the door. "What is this about- Oh, my…"

X was surprised. "D-d-d-dr. Light? Is that you?"

Light himself was astounded. "Heavens! I swear you look just like the prototype I am developing, 'X'…"

"I am X. You created me."

Dr. Light fell over in shock.

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"2006? I thought this was 21XX!"

X was seriously confused. "We knew about the recent phenomenon, but we didn't realize that it would combine dimensions of different time periods!"

Zero had his arms crossed. "And I can't believe I was built by someone who was once trying to take over the world!"

Mega Man chuckled, as he put his hand on X's shoulder. "It's just as confusing for us, bro. But we'll get used to it."

A loud roar from outside suddenly interrupted their conversation. "MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Mario dashed out the door. "It's him!"

Sure enough, Bowser was standing in the middle of the road, stopping traffic, and upturning cars that tried to get by. "There you are! I see you've gotten some new friends, but that doesn't matter. Look who I brought along!"

His clown car flew in, with a tied up Princess Peach inside. "Mario, he's at it again!"

"Yes, your little Princess. This time, I'll win, Mario!"

Mario dashed at Bowser, and got in a few punches, before the king of Koopas grabbed him by the leg, and tossed him into a wall. Before Bowser could laugh, Dog came out of nowhere, and slugged him in the face.

Bowser quickly recovered from the punch, and they locked hands, trying to push each other back. Their strengths were equal, and neither could gain an advantage. Suddenly, Bowser let loose a stream of fire breath, forcing Dog to retreat. Dog barely managed to continuously dodge Bowser's flames, before being barged into the wall.

Bowser turned around. "Any more challengers?"

"ME!"

Out of nowhere, a figure covered in flames slammed into Bowser's gut. The figure grabbed him by the tail, and tossed him into the wall, right where Mario had just been. As he fell, Mario landed an uppercut, sending the Koopa King flying.

The figure, Blaze, stopped her flames. "See how YOU like getting bossed around by a Princess!"

Bowser, as soon as he landed, rose to his feet. "Not bad… But I have a backup plan. KAMMY!"

Kammy flew over on her broom, and cast a spell. Bowser laughed, as his size literally doubled. He crushed an empty car under his foot, to show his new power. "Come on, time for you to get pounded!"

Luigi was screaming like a girl, and he hid in a nearby alley. Mario was still ready to fight, though. He jumped over Bowser's first swipe, but the Koopa King slammed him into a wall with his tail. Blaze was ready to use the Sol Emeralds, but she was suddenly taken by surprise by one of Kammy's spells, creating magical locks that pinned her to the nearest wall, unable to escape. Arioso had attempted to free Blaze, but a second spell did the same thing.

Gordon came out with an enhanced Gravity Gun, and started tossing cars at Bowser. Alyx was firing bullets from her machine pistol, while Mega Man was firing buster shots. Bowser, agitated at this, swiped with his tail, knocking out Gordon and Alyx, but Mega Man dodged. However, Bowser was able to grab the Light-Bot, and toss him into the distance, while Rush changed into a motorcycle to try and get to his master.

As Bowser laughed, a blue blur slammed into Kammy, knocking her off her broom, and out cold. Bowser noticed this, and saw Sonic standing on a signpost. "Hey, that's not very fair!"

"I don't need to be, I am Bowser, king of the Koopas!"

Sonic grinned, and instantly dodged Bowser's massive fire breath. Soon, each of Bowser's strikes was too slow to hit the hedgehog. Sonic was moving fast enough to look like as if he was teleporting!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?"

Sonic chuckled, as he ran circles around Bowser. "I'm the fastest thing alive! Oh, and watch your gut."

Zero suddenly dashed over, and as Sonic warned, he slashed Bowser in the gut with his beam saber. It wasn't deep enough to reach the internal organs, but the wound was still bleeding. What's more, X was firing buster shots. Bowser groaned, then roared. "ENOUGH!"

He back handed both Zero and Sonic, and launched a powerful fireball at X, sending him crashing into the ground. Bowser roared again, and looked at the trapped Blaze, smiling. "What do we have here? Maybe I can have a little fun with this kitty…"

"HEY! I'm not finished, you know!"

Sonic rose, much to Bowser's annoyance. "Stay down, you pathetic-"

Sonic crossed his arms, interrupting him. "Pathetic? Who are you calling 'pathetic'? You didn't stand a chance without that spell!"

Bowser was getting progressively angry. "QUIET! You dare mock me, Bowser, the king of Koopas? Prepare to burn!"

Bowser took in a deep breath, and then let out the mother of all fire beams, from his mouth. Sonic chuckled, as everyone got out of the way. But Sonic wasn't moving. The beam struck, and Bowser smiled, as the smoke faded. From what he could see, the beam had incinerated all in its path. But his eyes widened, when he heard a voice.

"You were saying?"

Sonic was standing, untouched. The seven Chaos Emerald hovered in a circle above his head. Bowser was in shock. "IMPOSSIBLE! That beam should have burnt you to a crisp!"

"Sorry, but I happened to have the Chaos Emeralds on hand. Now, let me show you the power of these gems!"

Sonic concentrated, and then yelled, as his fur changed to a gold-ish yellow, his quills now reaching upwards. The massive energy wave created nearly knocked Bowser off his feet. Everyone stared in awe, at the power of Super Sonic.

"Time to send you back where you came from!"

Bowser swiped at Super Sonic, but the hedgehog had left an afterimage. Bowser suddenly a punch to the gut, an uppercut, and an axe kick, all in one second. The Koopa groaned, as he dropped to his knees. Super Sonic appeared right in front of him. "Want more?"

Bowser felt a quick series of punches, until it was enough to break the spell. Bowser regained his normal form, and was lying on the ground, injured. Nearby, the science team was watching. Eli asked Eggman, "This… Is the true power of the Chaos Emeralds?"

Eggman nodded. "So many times, Sonic has used those gems to foil my schemes…"

Super Sonic was standing over Bowser, knowing that the Koopa King was beaten. Luigi emerged from the alley, and gave Mario a mushroom. Mario was rejuvenated, and he smiled. "Let's-a go!"

Mario went over to Bowser, grabbed him by the tail, and started spinning him on the spot, till he couldn't spin any faster. Then, Mario tossed Bowser into the distance. "See you later-a, Bowser!"

Luigi followed, by knocking Kammy away with his hammer. Sonic lost his super form, smiling. "Nice finish!"

Mario turned around. "Hey, if it wasn't for-a you, we wouldn't have beaten him!"

"AHEM."

Mario and Sonic looked at Blaze, who was still pinned to the wall. "GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!"

Sonic shrugged. "You could have said please…"

Mario, however, had already rushed to get Princess Peach down from the Clown car.

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The mess was swiftly cleaned up, and everyone else in Chaos Combination had hurried back to see what had happened. Inside, Peach was thanking those who had fought Bowser. "Bowser wouldn't have been defeated, without the brave efforts of the members of Chaos Combination."

As for X and Zero, they had successfully set up negotiations and communications between the Maverick Hunters, and Chaos Combination. It was a fantastic experience for all.

As the two hunters left the building, X remarked, "And you thought we wouldn't fight anyone."

"I wasn't expecting a giant fire-breathing turtle to show up with a princess."

X laughed, and dashed away. "Come on, let's get back to HQ!"

**_To Be Continued_**

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**_Author's Notes: _**If you were wondering where Bowser went, you've been pleased to know that I didn't forget about him. He's going to be the first of the reoccurring villains. And we get to see Super Sonic's first appearance.

And on another note, there will be no more sequences relating to Sonic's "dream". It was starting to get repetitive, and spoiled the story a little. Now, it'll be harder to guess who's coming next. Till the next chapter…

WHOA. Holy smeg, I nearly forgot! Now, some Sonic fans MAY not be too happy about Chris Thorndyke appearing. I know that Chris is hated, because of his role in Sonic X. In my opinion, I like Chris. Except, he was used in ways some people didn't exactly like. Some would say he's pretty useless, absolutely no help to Sonic and crew. HOWEVER, I've modeled this Chris to be more like the season 3 Chris. In that part of the anime, Chris was actually helpful. Inventing shoes for Sonic, fighting Metarex (Yes, he can defend himself.), and other stuff.

This Chris, will get the spotlight a lot less often than his Sonic X counterpart. He isn't replacing Tails as Sonic's best buddy, either. And his black-belt karate skills are actually useful, this time around. And there are loads of other details that I don't need to mention. In short, I'll try and make Chris more "likeable".

Bloody hell, its 11:00 PM! Well, as always, C&C is appreciated. Thanks,

_**Josh "Cronosonic" Braico**_


	11. Chapter 11: Celestial Emergance

_**Chapter 11: Celestial Emergence**_

**_Author's Notes:_** Plot twists are incoming… Some obvious, some very unexpected.

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Bass walked along the beach, looking around. Clearly, Akuma didn't do much in terms of decorating the island. Clearly, Akuma cared far more about training. He knew that humans could become stronger through training, but what about robots? The only thing they could do was get upgrades, and Bass wouldn't be able to upgrade, after he practically cut all ties with his creator. There must be another way to become stronger, he knew that, but could Akuma possibly know?

He soon spotted Akuma, toppling a tree close to him. He then proceeded to slam his fist into a large rock, demolishing it. He was sure dedicated with his training, Bass thought to himself.

"You've finally found me."

Akuma turned around, apparently had been aware of Bass' presence on the island. Bass stepped forward, undeterred. "Impressive that you actually knew I was coming. I'm not here to fight you, I want to know something."

Akuma stared in the robot's eyes, interested. "And what would that be?"

"My goal is to become the strongest, and I my rival is my greatest obstacle. How can I become stronger…"

Akuma immediately interrupted him, holding his hand up. "You are machine… Your muscles cannot become stronger. However, there is one thing you can do… Is to learn how to use and improve your ki."

Bass scoffed, crossing his arms. "Ki? That's some power that only humans can utilize…"

"Incorrect. Machines can use it too, except you do not realize it. You can use a different type of ki to humans, but this ki depends on your 'power source'…"

Bass' eyebrows widened. If robots could use ki, then Bass had the ticket to becoming stronger, in a sense. Before Bass could speak, Akuma continued. "I do not doubt your skill. In fact, I see much potential in you. If you wish to learn how to use your ki, then perhaps I can teach you, if you are willing to become my student… It is your decision."

Student? Bass wasn't expecting this. But, it couldn't hurt to become Akuma's student. To hell with his pride, he wanted to become stronger. It was a win-win situation. Bass bowed, and replied, "In that case… I accept your offer, sensei. Teach me all that you know!"

Akuma, satisfied, stepped towards his student, and stared into his eyes once more. "Very well. We shall begin your training… Now. First, we'll start with the basics."

Akuma turned to the side, and launched a Gou Hadouken. "Imagine a surge of energy coming into your fists. You must unleash this energy out, as a projectile."

Bass turned in the same direction, and attempted to do so. Nothing happened. Akuma noted this, and continued to help him practice. Eventually, Bass managed to produce a short-range fireball. "Good. Practice makes perfect, as my master used to teach me. Now… Since you can unleash your ki as projectiles, try just using it to improve your attacks… Hit that rock over there."

Bass charged towards the nearby rock, and slammed his fist into it. His fist smashed into it, but didn't demolish it. "Good, but did you use your ki? Use the same principle as when creating a projectile."

Bass nodded, before allowing his ki to flow through his fists. With another punch, the entire rock was demolished. Bass smiled, and slammed his fist into the ground. "The first step… In becoming the strongest!"

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"Are you sure?"

Eggman nodded, as he pointed to the screen. It was an urgent meeting among the Chaos Combination members, due to news of a large object heading towards the Earth. "From closer inspection from GUN's troops stationed on the ARK, it appears to be a ship. As we speak, it is heading towards the pacific, and calculated to crash near an island. We should check it out."

Of course, everyone agreed. However, they knew little about the island in question…

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Alarms sounded throughout the ship. A young girl tried to keep steady, but swiftly fell over. A male voice assured her, "We're nearly at the planet. Hold on, we'll we fine!"

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The ship soon crashed into the island's beach, sending sand flying all over the place. The top hatch opened, and the girl climbed out, dizzy from the crash. She seemed rather plant-like, with two flower buds on the sides of her head. She was also wearing a green and white dress, with a red stone on her chest. She looked around. "This… Seems like a fairly peaceful place…"

She walked up to a nearby palm tree, and placed her hand on it. Her wrist communicator spoke with the same male voice. "What does the tree tell you?"

"This planet… It's called Earth. Two people live on this island… The tree told me to be careful."

She suddenly noticed something approach at high speed. It slammed into the ground nearby, and a large, thin bony dragon, which lacked horns, emerged from the crater. It roared, as the girl stared in horror. "You thought you could run from ME?"

Immediately, Akuma jumped in, performing a Messatsu Gou Shoryuken. The dragon reeled from this attack, before charging. Bass appeared, slamming his fist into the dragon's head, stopping it in its tracks. The dragon stepped back, thinking of a different strategy. "Powerful… I've never seen humans fight like this, without power suits!"

Bass growled. "He's human, I'm not!"

Suddenly, they noticed air carriers approach. An RPG shell slammed into the dragon, forcing him to take to the air. The carriers landed, and the CC members dispersed, attacking with every ranged attack they had. Mega Man noticed Bass, before the arch-rival spoke. "We don't need your help, blue boy!"

The dragon kept his distance, attempting hit and run attacks with his deadly tail, though failing to hit anyone every time. But it was slowly taking damage. Then, it was executing bombing runs that split the entire group. The plant girl tried to get out of the path of a bombing run, and was quickly saved by Sonic, who hid her behind a rock. "Stay here!"

The girl nodded, as Sonic went back to attack. Suddenly, a strange ship came out of nowhere, firing air-to-air missiles at the dragon. However, the dragon was quick enough to dodge a few of them, and slashed the underside with its tail. The ship then crashed onto the shore. As well, Gordon overheard a voice behind a large rock he was close to. "Well, so much for that plan."

He checked, to see two figures – the first, being a brown-haired man with combat gear, and with glasses, and a blonde woman with a similar outfit. The man noticed Gordon, and proceeded to swear under his breath. "Oh, that's just perfect."

The woman shrugged, before speaking. "Well, don't just stand there! We'll get to the introductions later, let's just kill that thing!"

Suddenly, the dragon landed, and raised a claw, hoping for a cease-fire. Neither side took further action. The dragon spoke, introducing himself. "Before we continue this battle… I must warn you. I didn't come without bringing reinforcements. I am Ridely, leader of the Zebian Space Pirates. My fleet has already arrived at the edge of the planet's atmosphere… Hand over the girl."

Shadow suddenly walked up, smiling. "Actually… You are in no position to make demands. Your fleet is about to be rendered useless in… Three… Two… One…"

The blonde woman's communicator suddenly blared, "WHAT THE…"

The woman spoke into it. "What is it, Colonel?"

"A green beam just came out of nowhere, and not only annihilated the capital ship, but decimated most of the fleet!"

Shadow chuckled, as Ridely growled in frustration. "We have a weapon that you cannot defend against, powerful enough even to destroy entire planets. I suggest you leave."

"Fine… But not without the girl!"

"PISS OFF, RIDLEY!"

Suddenly, a figure came out of nowhere, firing missiles at Ridley with an arm cannon. Ridely roared, and then fled. The figure turned towards everyone else. "Well, that's over and done with..."

The stranger, who was wearing an orange power suit, took off the helmet – revealing the face of a blonde, longhaired woman underneath. Nobody was expecting a girl under the suit. Suddenly, the survivors of the mysterious ship walked up the beach. The first was a man in his somewhat mid thirties, with short brown hair, also wearing combat gear, like the people behind the rock. The other appeared to be an African-American man, wearing similar combat gear as well, but he had a strange marking on his forehead, which resembled a snake. The Caucasian man sighed. "Looks like we didn't need to do that, after all…"

As Akuma and Bass left, the attention was turned towards the plant girl, the woman in the power suit, and the four guys who had executed the ship attack. The woman rushed over to the girl, and hugged her. "Thank God he didn't do anything to you…"

"Miss Samus, I'm fine…"

Samus stood up, facing everyone else. "I am Samus Aran, Bounty Hunter who often works for the Galactic Federation. This is Cosmo, a Seedrian I rescued from a ship that was under attack, by both Space Pirates and another attacker…"

The man with the snake marking stepped forward, seeming somewhat relieved. "I thought there wasn't any survivors… Thankfully, I was wrong."

Cosmo walked forward, recognizing him, but still depressed. "It was horrible, Mister Teal'c… I can't bear to think what happened to everyone else… Thank you for trying to save me from Ridely."

"Anything for a friend, Cosmo."

Samus then inquired, "SG-1, I presume? Of course, I expected you guys to show up whenever something extraterrestrial comes to Earth…"

Teal'c nodded, and then introduced the rest of SG-1. "My friends here are Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, Daniel Jackson, and Samantha Carter. We are the lead team from Stargate Command."

The Chaos Combination members were a little confused. Sonic raised an eyebrow, as he crossed his arms. "Stargate Command? Never heard of it."

Cam Mitchell, the guy who was piloting the ship with Teal'c, remarked, "Yeah, that's because the entire thing has been under wraps by the US government for years."

The only woman in the team, Sam, followed up. "Ever since recently, after the disturbance that caused several alternate realities/dimensions to fuse, we've been busy with all these new planets and races that keep popping up everywhere. And we thought the Ori was going to be enough trouble…"

The last team member, Daniel, finished the explanation. "Considering the help you can be to us, we thought you deserved to know. Why don't we just head over to Cheyenne Mountain, and explain everything there?"

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The Cheyenne Mountain complex was simply huge. The Major General serving there, Hank Landry, was on his toes in order to try and keep the visit organized. Everyone was shown the Stargate, which was a massive ring, with symbols on it, and nine 'chevrons'. Kliener was awed as well as everyone else. "This is fantastic! Such a magnificent method of transportation, I must say."

After that, Cosmo was walking along the hallways with Teal'c, whom seemed a little depressed. "I am saddened by your loss, Cosmo. It was shocking to hear of it, only days after your visit to Dakara."

Cosmo nodded. "The attack was completely unexpected… Who would do such a thing?"

"I promise you, Cosmo… The culprits will be found, and brought to justice."

Daniel Jackson suddenly bumped into them, and quickly apologized, then spoke to Cosmo. "Oh, Cosmo… I'm sorry about what happened. I know what it's like to lose loved ones. Well, I've got to get somewhere."

He walked off, heading to a nearby room. The room was fairly large, more than enough to fit everyone. Daniel cleared his throat, before speaking to the Chaos Combination members there. "Now, I should keep this short, since there's little time, and we have somewhere to go… Now, you know about the Stargate. From what we could gather, it seems that quite a few of you have come into contact before everything went wrong a few days ago, so this won't be TOO unusual… I hope. Anyway, we have to brief you guys on the current situation in our galaxy. You see, there is an enemy from another galaxy, called the Ori, who intend on invading the Milky Way, to either convert it's inhabitants to their religion, 'Origin', or destroy them entirely. Those who follow Origin believe that the Ori are Gods… That, of course, isn't true. They're what we call, 'ascended beings'…"

Samus, being in her normal clothing, suddenly spoke up. "Ascended beings… Can you quickly explain? Sounds familiar…"

"Ascension, is pretty much going up to a higher plane of existence. It does have its perks, but ascended beings have made their own specialized 'rules', in order to prevent interference with the lower plane. The only other race other than the Ori who have ascended, are the Ancients, and they happen to have similar origins, but are great enemies. The Ori intend on destroying the Ancients, using worshippers to increases their power."

Samus shook her head. "The Ori have more enemies than that. I know of two other ascended races – the Chozo, and the Alimbics, in a sense. If you mean that they shed their physical bodies to take on a higher form, then they have definitely ascended, just probably not in the same way."

Eggman raised an eyebrow. "How powerful is the technology of the Ori?"

Samantha answered for Daniel. "Well, we don't know all that much, beyond an Ori weapon that easily destroyed the Prometheus, which was one of the most advanced spacecraft in the galaxy. Also, this may not really count as technology, but the Ori send 'Priors' through the Stargate to planets to try and convert inhabitants. They possess many abilities, which we have only been able to counter with a special device."

Arioso whistled. "I don't think we should take 'em lightly, guys…"

Daniel sighed, as he told the REALLY bad news. "Well, we don't have much time to prepare. There's a 'Supergate' somewhere in the galaxy, and it'll only be a matter of time before the Ori forces arrive. However, we've discovered the location of a weapon that can destroy ascended beings, which could be our ticket to beating them."

Shadow then noticed something strange, behind a nearby table. He dashed over, and prepared to attack the stranger hidden behind it. The intruder dashed away, smiling. "Hey, about time you found me!"

It was a human figure, with black, spiky hair. He wore an orange and blue karate ki, as well. He held his hands out, in order to show that he didn't intend to fight. "But seriously, sorry about eavesdropping on you guys like that. Just not sure you guys would trust me, that's all. My name is Son Goku. It's quite a pleasure to meet you guys."

Shadow smiled. "Well, from the energy I'm sensing, I suppose we've picked up a powerful ally."

"Sure thing. I'll help you fight these 'Ori' guys. I've even got quite a few friends who'll help as well. But I would really suggest getting even more allies, can't take chances, after all."

Daniel nodded. "So… it's decided. You guys go and find more help, the rest of SG-1 and I will go off to Camelot to find the weapon."

Then, everyone was suddenly intrigued with the fact that they had actually found the "Camelot" of legend. Then, a single voice remarked, "It's only a model."

Everyone looked at Ken, who burst into laughter. "Seriously, who doesn't like Monty Python?"

After the meeting had ended, Tails had noticed Cosmo still a little depressed. He went over, smiling, and asked, "Cosmo? Something wrong?"

The plant girl shook her head, before Tails spoke again. "Look, can I try and make you feel better? My name's Miles 'Tails' Prower."

Cosmo immediately giggled. "I can see why you're called that."

Tails was pleased to at least see a smile on her face. "Come on, I've got something to show you. It's a huge ship, I built it myself. It's called the Typhoon, I think you'll love it!"

Cosmo nodded, as she followed him. "I would be delighted…"

**To Be Continued**

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**_Author's Notes: _**You know, I've sort of instigated this rule with this fanfic – if it's game related, it can be included. I'm not going to even bother with Dragonball Z, it's got so many games, I've lost count. Stargate has an SNES game and an upcoming MMORPG, which easily warrants it. We have a new, and interesting situation. The Ori are about to attack, can our heroes actually put up a better fight than in the original show, and NOT get their asses kicked in the first battle? We'll see.


	12. Chapter 12:Bunnies can't Guard Prisoners

_**Chapter 12: Bunnies Can't Guard Prisoners**_

**_Author's Notes: _**The title makes one part of the chapter blatantly obvious, if you're a Wii fan. This chapter features a long awaited series that I've already revealed… And a surprise series, a favourite of mine.

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"VEGETA! Come on, why not?"

Vegeta, the arrogant Saiyan Prince, shook his head, as Son Goku continued to follow and persist in trying to convince him to help in beating the Ori forces. "Beat it, Kakarot. A bunch of humans with a few spaceships should be absolutely no problem for you."

Goku groaned, but continued to try. "Please… We have no idea how powerful these ships are, and you know very well that we can't go beyond the first Super Saiyan level anymore! Besides, they're being lead by beings that have ascended to a higher plane of existence! These people are being fooled into believing that the Ori are gods…"

Vegeta stopped, and had a quick think. "You know… That reminds me of Freeza. Some bastards who want to rule everyone just because they think they're better than everyone else… I'm in."

"Oh, come on-wait, what?"

Vegeta chuckled, before turning around. "You heard me, Kakarot. I've changed my mind. Besides, it's been a while since I've gotten some proper target practice."

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"We call it, the 'Chaos Combination Communicator'!"

Every single CC member had turned up at the R&D area of their HQ, for the new communicator device that the science team had developed. The handy thing about it, was that one could wear it almost anywhere. For example, Rayman was able to wear it on the back of his hand. It had a whole lot of other features, but the list is too long to fully explain.

One particular member would find it a very handy tool, indeed…

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"Oh, come on! You're sending me into a mountain area in the middle of WINTER?"

Sonic tried to keep warm, as he shivered in the cold, even though he was still inside the copter. Ryu smiled, as he watched. "It's not like you haven't been in the cold before."

Sonic shrugged, before jumping out. Gordon looked back from the front seat. "Let's hope this new continent has new allies…"

Sonic landed in the snow, and started running. He knew that he had to keep running, in order to stay warm. He went in the direction of a series of buildings that he saw in the distance, and was quick to encounter something strange.

A very bulky man was partially buried in the snow. Two men in coats were covering him with some sort of liquid, which appeared to be some sort of fuel. Sonic stopped, and started walking over to them, and was about to ask where he was, before they spotted him, and panicked.

"SOUND THE ALARM! It's another one!"

Sonic was quite confused with this reaction. "Wait, what do you mean?"

One of the men dashed to the nearby fortress, which Sonic could now see. The other pulled out a handgun, and started shooting at him. Sonic could easily dodge, but was surprised. "HEY! That's uncalled for!"

"Are you another one of Drachma's weapons? I bet you've come to wake him up?"

Sonic groaned, before holding up a 'stop' hand sign. "HOLD IT! I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about!"

Seconds later, a net came over him. The person who threw it was a very large man with a pointed moustache, a Mohawk and a large chainsaw/metal croc jaw like weapon replacing one of his arms. "We'll have to make you talk, then…"

Sonic was not deterred, using a spin dash to tear the net apart. The man charged towards him with his weapon arm, but Sonic was able to avoid him with his speed. Suddenly, he was caught in a mysterious ice-like hand that formed around him. He looked behind him, to see two figures standing in the snow. The first was a blonde teenager, who had his hands on the ground. The second was a person wearing a large suit of armour. The teenager called out, "Buccaneer! You alright?"

The man with the weapon arm, Buccaneer, nodded. "You and our brother are pretty quick, Edward…"

Something in Sonic's mind snapped into place. He recognized Edward, somehow. Then it hit him – Ed was the older brother in one part of his dream! "Hey, Ed! Do I know you from somewhere?"

Edward looked at him with a strange look. Before he could answer, his eyes widened. "You… I remember… It was years ago…"

Sonic blinked, just before Ryu came falling, and smashed the ice hand with a flying kick. Ryu then faced Buccaneer, nodding to his friend. "Sonic, are you alright?"

"Just fine. You take on the big guy, I'll take on these two!"

Ryu rushed forward, attacking Buccaneer with a Shoryuken. The built man blocked. And a mighty clash began, while Sonic was circling Ed. "Can't catch me!"

He was suddenly caught off guard by the guy in the armour, who bear-hugged him to stop him from moving about. "GOT YOU!"

"LET HIM GO, YOU PIECE OF SCRAP METAL!"

Immediately after, Blaze appeared, kicking off the helmet. A fireball to the back was enough to make him let Sonic go, except what she saw shocked her. There was nothing under the armour. "Is this some kind of magic?"

Ed was quick to retrieve his brother's helmet. "Al, are you alright? Well, we've got a little more of a fair fight…"

Sonic grinned, as he stopped next to Blaze. "Al? Great, now I definitely know you two! But… What happened to you guys?"

Ed and Al refused to answer, putting their hands together, and then slammed their palms into the ground. Two rows of ice spikes shot up quickly, forcing Sonic and Blaze to dodge. Blaze created a wave of fire that the brothers were barely able to avoid. Al remarked, "She's like a female version of Roy Mustang!"

Ed was swiftly attacked by Sonic's spin attack, which he blocked with his right arm. Sonic was stopped in his tracks. He then noticed that the arm was mechanical. "So that's what happened…"

Sonic and Ed clasped hands, and tried to push each other back. Then, a woman's voice interrupted them. "That's enough."

Sonic looked to the side, to see a huge (In terms of height) woman standing over them. Ed used this chance to push him over, before the woman stopped him. "He's not our enemy… I just spoke with a friend of his."

Gordon came up beside him. "Is my timing good, or what? Come on, tell me."

Ryu smiled, as he stopped fighting Buccaneer, before remarking, "It's over already? And when it was getting good, too…"

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Two men were traversing the mountains. The first was a man with red eyes, white hair, and two large scars on his forehead that crossed over in an 'X' shape. The second was a man with a slightly odd looking man with very, very short hair across his head, minus his pointy moustache.

They both stopped, when they saw the figures of Akuma and Bass in their way. Akuma narrowed his eyes, as he stared at the red-eyed man. "Are you the one they call 'Scar'?"

Scar nodded, as he clenched his fist. "I am. What business would you have of me? You're not a State Alchemist; otherwise I would know who you are. Or are you a bounty hunter looking for a reward?"

Akuma shook his head, as he stepped towards Scar. "No. Money does not concern me. I am merely looking for a challenge… And your reputation has lead me and my student here. I am Akuma, the supreme master of the fist. Are you worthy of fighting me?"

Scar opened his hands, prepared. "I accept your challenge."

Akuma did not hesitate to start the fight with a Gou Hadouken, which Scar somehow split apart with his right arm. That was when the mighty clash began…

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Strangely enough, Ed and Al were tied up at the waists, once they got inside. The large woman, identified as Major General Olivier Mila Armstrong, had the end of the rope tied onto her shoulder. Olivier was curious of where the visitors had come from. "So, you're not even from any of Amenstris' neighbouring countries… And you came all the way here looking for allies?"

Gordon nodded. "We're looking for allies to help us fight the Ori, brings from another galaxy who have gone to a high plane of existence, and command armies of followers who believe them to be gods. The Ori want followers in order to increase their power."

Blaze noticed that Ed was trying to compare the heights of her and Sonic with himself. "You know, we may be shorter than humans, but you're still short."

Ed growled, before Olivier made the comeback for him. "You shouldn't be insulting his stature… Not with those breasts, anyway."

"WHAT WAS THAT, YOU LITTLE BI-"

Sonic immediately stopped Blaze. "Hey, at least they're better than Rouge's overly-large ones!"

Ryu shook his head, as he chuckled. "You both have an inferiority complex, it seems…"

Buccaneer stepped into the room, with an announcement. "We have two more visitors."

The CC members were surprised to see Akuma and Bass step in. Ryu was quick to ask, "Why are you two here?"

Akuma answered. "Looking for a challenge… And I got it. Scar is a very skilled warrior…"

Ed and Al was surprised at this, and before they could ask anything, Akuma shook his head. "Don't bother asking of his whereabouts. He's traversing the mountains, looking for something, he didn't say."

Then, Sonic walked up to him. "Akuma... If you want a fight, I feel up to one. I feel like a new challenge..."

Olivier then interrupted. "If you want a fight, take it outside."

Indeed, the fight was about to take place outside. A team of military officers were assigned to drag the huge, frozen body into the fortress, as Sonic faced Akuma in the snow. Sonic was grinning, feeling a bit confident. Akuma's expression hadn't changed. "I will not hold back. I know you can match Shadow… Can you match me?"

Sonic made the first move, using his incredible speed to dash straight at Akuma, performing three swift aerial kicks. Akuma tried to counter, but Sonic avoided him. Sonic kept up a fierce wave of attacks… Before Akuma was able to grab him, throw him, and perform a Gou Hadouken when Sonic was caught in midair. Sonic rose to his feet, before glowing. "LIGHT SPEED SONIC WIND ATTACK!"

Sonic disappeared, before a tornado appeared around Akuma. Akuma could see blue afterimages of Sonic coming at him. But instead of countering those afterimages, he preformed a Messatsu Gou Rasen, rising into the air. Nobody could see them, until the tornado split into two separate ones. Sonic and Akuma could be seen, each showing blue and red auras, the former having the blue, the latter with the red. Sonic made his final attack, his most powerful Spin Dash attack. Akuma prepared, and preformed, the legendary _Tenshou Kaireki Jin _strike.

Everyone was bracing, as the massive shockwave nearly knocked them over. Blaze seemed especially tense. When the shockwave subsided, it was all over. A battered and beaten Sonic fell to the ground, as Akuma landed, still standing. Everyone was shocked at the result, none more so than Blaze. "Sonic…"

Akuma walked over to Sonic, and held his hand up. "Rise to the occasion… Surpass yourself!"

Blaze tightened her grip on the railing, and suddenly disappeared, as Akuma prepared to strike. Seconds later, his _Kongou Kokuretsuzan_ was stopped by Blaze, trying to hold it back with all her might. She teleported again, taking Sonic with her, and she put Sonic into Ryu's arms. "Take care of him…"

She turned around, jumping to the ground. "He's too wounded to fight, Akuma. If you wish… I will take his stead."

Akuma nodded, getting into a fighting stance once more. "So be it… So quick to save his life, I see. Is this friendship, or something more…?"

Blaze was quick to reply, her flames igniting around her right hand. "I am imperial princess Blaze the Cat… I always protect my friends."

"A selfless _kōjo_...Very well, Blaze. Show me the power of your fists!"

They charged at each other, both attacking with powerful projectiles. Two entirely different flames clashed, as Blaze and Akuma engaged in heated combat. It all ended, when Blaze made one final charge at Akuma, who was performing his signature move. "Phoenix Strike!"

The flashes came. And seconds later, Blaze and Akuma were standing back-to-back. Akuma was showing his glowing kanji, while Blaze was covered in flames, though she could still clearly be seen.

"Impressive... Your will has allowed you to match me. You are closer to unlocking your… True strength."

Akuma nodded to Bass, and they both left. Blaze fell to her knees, relieved, and then dashed off to the Infirmary. "Sonic…"

Everyone else followed her. She was found right beside Sonic's bed. Though his wounds had been covered, Sonic was still heavily injured. He smiled to Blaze, as he opened his eyes. "Blaze… You didn't have to… Thank you."

Blaze smiled back, before giving him a hug that made him groan, as she was making his injuries hurt. "Don't you DARE do something like that again."

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Link stared out of the side of the carrier, looking out into the horizon. Blue. Nothing but blue. Ocean in every direction. From what info had been gathered, it appeared that this region was called the "Grand Line". Famous for one thing. Pirates.

"There's a ship up ahead!"

Link was ready. If they were pirates, they could simply sink the ship and be on their way. From what he could see, it was a big ship. It seemed to have a lion's head on the front, and the entire deck was covered in grass. How the deck of a ship could have grass, was simply beyond him. He turned back towards the others standing by – Arioso, Quote and Megaman. Link nodded to them, as the carrier hovered beside the ship. The crew had already assembled on the deck, and anxiously waiting. Link jumped off, and onto the ship. "Who is the captain of this ship?"

A walked up. His red vest and short trousers made him seem like an unusual captain, but his straw hat was the most noticeable item of clothing. "I am. My name is Monkey D. Luffy. By the way, that is an AWESOME ship you have!"

Link was wondering why anyone would appoint this guy the captain of the ship. "Um… Thank you. My name is Link, member of the organization 'Chaos Combination'. My friends here are Arioso, Quote, and Megaman."

The first mate suddenly pushed Luffy aside. He had green hair, and three swords at his side, two being katana, one of them being a cutlass. "Sorry about the captain, he's a little childish. I'm the first mate, Roronoa Zoro. I see you're a swordsman as well, Link."

They shook hands, before Zoro remarked, "And we're pirates, by the way… But don't worry, we're not one to attack innocents. We even step in to stop injustices from time to time."

Arioso whistled. "Cool! Pirates who don't go around and rob people!"

Seconds later, Luffy and Arioso were running around and singing a pirate song. Zoro groaned at this sight. "And I thought one Luffy was bad… Anyway, how about I introduce you to the rest of the crew? The navigator, Nami, the gunner (And local liar), Usopp, the cook, Sanji, the doctor, Tony Tony Chopper, Nico Robin, ship's archaeologist, and the shipwright, Franky."

Not long after, Megaman and Quote were doing target practice with Usopp, who boasted his skill. Indeed, he was extremely very good, but he looked on in horror as the targets were blasted to bits by the guns, as he only had a slingshot. Arioso was still with Luffy, and Link was duelling Zoro, who displayed his skill with three swords, two in both hands, and the third in his mouth. When their swords were locked, Zoro asked, "What kind of sword is that?"

Link stared down at his sword. It wasn't the sword he had been using when he first came to Station Square. "I only just recently took arms with it, in preparation for a grand battle. The Master Sword, the sword of Evil's Bane."

Zoro chuckled, as they separated, and continued duelling. "Nice."

Soon enough, the CC members were ready to leave. The Straw Hat crew had been told of the Ori and their threat to the galaxy, and they were very eager to help, when the time came. Link handed Luffy a CC communicator. Luffy was very eager to put it on, and nodded to him. "We'll be in touch. Thanks for coming!"

Link smiled. "You're welcome…"

Suddenly, Link's communicator blared. It was Rayman. "Guys! Can you hear me?"

"What is it, Rayman?"

Rayman's sigh of relief came from the other side, as his face appeared on the video screen. "I didn't think I could get this thing working again! We have a problem. My continent has been taken completely over!"

Link was shocked. "By whom?"

"Bunnies! Lots of them!"

Everyone else burst into laughter, but Link noticed a balcony behind Rayman. A white bunny walked along. "You weren't kidding… We'll free you from that cell!"

"I'll escape myself, these bunnies aren't too bright. They've been giving me plungers from completing tests for their amusement, and I've used them to make a ladder to the incredibly high window the cell has."

Luffy grinned. "Can we come along, too?"

Arioso laughed, giving an answer. "The more the merrier, right, Link?"

Link nodded in agreement.

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Rayman climbed up the ladder of plungers. At the top, he noticed the blue bird that had been pestering him since he got there. Before the bird could escape, Rayman grabbed it, and grinned. BOOM. The wall below exploded, making Rayman let go of the bird, whom cheekily escaped. "So much for a quiet assault, guys!"

But he noticed that it wasn't a bomb that had made the explosion. Luffy charged through the hole, and suddenly extended his arms like rubber, allowing him to get up to the balcony, and he started attacking the bunnies up there. "Screw stealth, let's take them all out!"

Rayman noticed that Sonic wasn't around, and when he asked Blaze, he got the reason. The CC members had an assortment of powerful weapons, yet the deadliest the bunnies had were rockets. Everything else were plungers. In other words, the assault went without a hitch.

Luffy smashed down the door to the room where the Rabbid Emperor resided. Indeed, the Emperor sat, in a way that resembled Jabba the Hutt, not to mention his appearance would remind one of him. He looked as if he had been expecting them. "Good show. But I have an advantage… Stop this, or else…"

Rayman pushed to the front of the group. "Or else… What?"

"I don't know… She'll be crushed?"

A huge, black Rabbid walked up right next to the Emperor, holding a figure that somewhat resembled Rayman in appearance, and limblessness, but it was a girl. Her hair was longer than Rayman's, and going over the back of her head, rather than the front. Rayman groaned, knowing he was in a difficult situation. "Jamilla…"

Ryu noted, "I assume you know her…"

Seconds later, Luffy had knocked the Rabbid out with a double fist strike, using his rubber arms to increase the power of his punch. "Gomu Gomu No Bazooka!"

Rayman dashed over to help Jamilla, who was coughing. Everyone else was holding the Emperor at weapon-point, to get a point across. "Damn," he muttered.

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Back at CC HQ, Jamilla was still getting used to her new surroundings. "I can't believe I got caught in all that… And I can't remember how."

Rayman was shocked to hear that she had no memory of their people, beyond her own family. Beyond that, all she could remember was that a couple had lost their child in a storm many years ago. Rayman stared out the window, wondering if he would ever truly learn his origins. Ryu walked up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Ryu."

Ryu smiled, and placed a hand on Rayman's shoulder. "You're not the only one here who's been separated from one's parents… I don't know what happened to my parents. I was adopted by my late master, Gouken. I never let it bother me. Sonic remarked to me that she shouldn't dwell in the past, but look to the future."

Rayman smiled. "Nice saying. You know, maybe I'll take it. Let's get on with ally-gathering, before the Ori get here."

_**To Be Continued**_

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**_Author's Notes:_** See? Granted, the Raving Rabbids plot lasted as long as the original game's plot did, but it was worth it for the ending. And the new characters were based off concept art from the game's development; I ended up taking a few liberties with those.

Who saw One Piece coming? That's also a series with quite a few games. Fullmetal was a given. HOWEVER, they're not focused on the animes, but the manga versions, including DBZ. Why? DBZ ended where the anime ended, it made more sense to start off from there, rather than GT. Same with Fullmetal, as the anime has already ended and a movie released, it would be too much of a hassle to work the anime story into the fic. The One Piece manga isn't much different from the anime, though it's already gotten past the Enies Lobby and the Buster Call. Besides, I can take a few liberates with certain stuff as a result… And no, we haven't reached OC chapter 442 yet, I'll let that happen after this chapter.

Oh, and we might just see the entrance of the Pokémon series in the future, since I've gotten back into playing those games. But we won't be seeing Ash anywhere. I think I'll execute it more along the lines of the game/Adventures manga. Another way to gain more liberaties with the storyline, really.


	13. Chapter 13: Arabian Dreams

_**Chapter 13: Arabian Dreams**_

_**Author's Notes: **_Does the chapter title tell any clues? SPOILERS FOR THAT GAME, COMING UP!

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"I didn't think I'd have my nose in a book…"

Sonic smiled, as he sat back in bed, with a copy of 'A Thousand-And-One Arabian Nights' in his hands. He loved the stories, but he still thought that running would be better. However, due to his injuries, that wasn't possible, so he had nothing else to do. After a short while, he lay back, and fell asleep, the book right on his face.

"_Umm... Hmph! Hey, wake up!"_

Sonic swore he could hear a female voice. Where it came from, he was far from sure. He yawned, taking the book off… And noticed a large ring, lying on his chest. As he picked it up to examine it, a strange flame emerged from its top. "You are the blue hedgehog."

"WHAT THE?!?"

Sonic looked on in disbelief, as a female figure appeared, with strange red hair, and Arabian clothing. The young woman floated next to his bed, trying to calm him down, while holding the book in her hand. "Do not be alarmed! I am Shahra, the Genie of the Ring. You know… Like, "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp?"

Sonic blinked, before shaking his head. "I don't think I've read that."

"WHAT?!? You've got to be kidding me! It's the best story of all the Arabian Nights! Or at least the second best… But that's beside the point. Please, look at this!"

Shahra opened up the book, to a particular section. Sonic could clearly see that the pages were completely blank. "Hey, this page is blank!" He stated, as he turned the page, coming across something rather alarming. The words on the next page were slowly disappearing. Shahra was clearly worried. "Our world… The world of the Arabian Nights is vanishing."

"Vanishing? But how?"

Shahra replied, "This is the work of an incredibly evil spirit… The Erazor Djinn."

Sonic, upon hearing the name, raised an eyebrow. "Erazor… Djinn?"

"Yes. He used his evil magic to become even more powerful. He could not bear to remain in the book any longer. And so he has begun to set the inscriptions free, absorbing the very power of the book itself."

This wasn't good news, in Sonic's mind. "The power of the book?"

Shahra nodded, and continued. "If our world ceases to exist, then not only will those stories be silenced forever, but the Erazor Djinn will be unleashed into your world."

Even worse news, for Sonic. "That definitely sounds like trouble… But what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stop him. I want you to stop the Erazor Djinn! Only you, the blue hedgehog, can do it."

Simple enough. "Hmm… So this guy needs someone to put him in his place, does he? I suppose I can help out with that. It might even be fun! But, this is all out of a storybook, right? How am I supposed to do something about that, especially with my injuries?"

Shahra was able to answer that quite simply. "That's easy. You are my master, having called forth the Genie of the Ring. As such, I am able to grant your wishes. Simple wishes, at any rate… Brining you into the world of the Arabian Nights is within my power."

"What?!? Inside that book?!?"

Shahra suddenly disappeared, a smaller ring appearing in midair. "Now, please, place the ring on your finger!"

Sonic did so, wondering what would happen. A surge of pain went through his finger, as he felt it bond to him. "OUCH! Take it easy!"

"My apologies, o master. But now, the contract has been sealed."

"Contract?"

"Yes. As master of the ring, I am now bound to protect you. Now, rub the ring."

Sonic slowly rubbed the ring, and seconds later, Shahra re-appeared. "Oh, master of the ring, what is thy wish?"

Sonic immediately sneezed. "How about a handkerchief, for starters… Make that a few!"

Instead, Sonic was covered in them. After pushing them all away, he cleared his nose with one. "Thanks! You're a lifesaver! I got a bit of a cold, having had to lay around like this, and…"

"Please, be serious!"

Sonic was caught off guard by Shahra's insistence, but calmed down. "Okay, okay… Thanks for the hankies, though. But can you heal my injuries? Fighting that incredibly tough martial artist nearly got me killed…"

"_Please, someone tell me this isn't really happening? Oh, well…" _Shahra thought, as she slowly healed Sonic to full health. The hedgehog hopped out of bed, good as new. "Thanks! Now, let's go! Take me to this world of the Arabian Nights!"

Shahra bowed. "Your wish is my command, o master…"

"Quit it, will you! My name's Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Very well then, Sonic… The legendary hedgehog."

"HOLD IT!"

Sonic looked towards the door, to see Amy there, looking rather pissed off. Ryu and Mario were hiding, wising avoiding her wrath. "Who is this girl?"

"AMY! Do you have to think that every woman I meet is hitting on me? Jeez…"

Amy grinned, before bursting into laughter. "No, I heard the entire thing, I was kidding! Seriously, can I come along?"

Sonic shook his head. "I think I can handle myself, Ames. If I need help from you guys… Shahra, got any ideas?"

Shahra nodded, producing a second ring, and giving it to Amy. "If Sonic needs help from you guys… This ring will give you the sign. Before we leave… May I know your names?"

Ryu smiled, moving out into view. "My name is Ryu. Pleased to meet you, Shahra."

Mario did the same. "I'm-a Mario! Pleased to meet-a you too!"

Shahra created a magic carpet, which Sonic used for them both to travel into the book itself. As the book closed, Ryu remarked, "Well… Must be first class."

Mario gave him a nudge. "You can say-a that again!"

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Very soon after, a letter was found under the door of the Chaos Combination HQ entrance.

_Dear Chaos Combination,_

_I know about your impending battle against the Ori. This has alarmed me, and I am willing to lend my powers to help you defeat this force. Meet me in Diamond City, at "Mona's Pizza". I'll be waiting._

_Signed, an ally._

"DIAMOND CITY?!?"

Mario's mouth was gaping open, as Ken read the note. Quote raised an eyebrow. "What's the problem?"

Mario crossed his arms, obviously not very happy. "Of all the-a places, this mysterious sender had to pick Wario's home-a city… He's my cousin. I never liked him… For some reason, he claims I-a bullied him when we were younger, you shouldn't believe a word of it! He's a greedy treasure hunter. He steals more than just-a jewels, unlike that bat-girl Rouge. I'm surprised his video game company is so successful…"

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Coincidently, Rouge was sneaking in Wario's basement, looking for a good light. "Heh… Sneaking past the fat idiot was too easy!"

As she hit the light switch, her eyes widened. It was a treasure trove. More than just gold, there was an entire section for the jewels. "So… Many… I think I'm in heaven!"

As she snuck over to the jewels, a voice roared from the door. "HEY! I may be thief, but like hell I'm gonna let you steal my treasure!"

Rouge turned around, to see Wario, standing at the door in his yellow biker gear. She chuckled, and moved her left leg forward, prepared to fight. "My… You've got muscles, but I can easily destroy machines with my kicks, and I'm quicker. Who is the superior treasure hunter?"

Wario growled, before they both realised something. "Wait a minute… You're a treasure hunter too? Small world, eh? Actually, I have an idea. Why don't we team up? We're both master treasure hunters, after all… You can have the jewels we steal, seeing how you've got the eye for them!"

Rouge blinked, before giggling. "Nice idea. You're not so much of an idiot after all. I've heard of our reputation, and I bet you've heard mine. We could be the perfect team!"

They clasped hands, satisfied with their new alliance.

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As the CC members entered Diamond City, they noted that the city wasn't so impressive as they thought. It was still nice, though. As their carrier closed in on their destination, they could see Mona's Pizza right up ahead. Ken licked his lips, joking, "I could use a pizza to refuel my energy!"

Ryu chuckled. "You just ate, Ken…"

The carrier landed nearby, and the entire group went over to the parlour, wondering who their new ally was. Ken was pushed in, and he looked around… Right before a red-haired girl suddenly came up to him, smiling. "Hi, welcome to Mona's Pizza, how can I help you?"

Ken noted that her nametag said 'Mona' on it. "Is it a coincidence that you happen to be named 'Mona', like this place, or is it the other way round?"

Mona giggled, amused by Ken's question. "Well, yeah… Weird, huh? Anyway, what would you like to eat?"

Ken noticed a cloaked figure sitting at the table in the corner, and then replied, "I'll have a vegetarian, thanks…"

Mona nodded, walking away to get Ken's order. Ken went over to the corner table, sitting on the opposite side of the figure. Arioso and Shadow decided to join him. "So… Are you the guy who sent us the letter?"

The figure nodded, gripping his cloak with his strange hands, which seemed to have 'bulbs' on the end of the fingers, not to mention only three fingers. "Indeed. There is no point masking myself any longer."

He tore off his cloak, revealing his true figure. The strangely shaped humanoid-like creature stood up, its purple tail moving from side to side. "I am Mewtwo."

"About time you took off that cloak."

Mona came over, placing Ken's pizza on the table. Mewtwo raised an eybrow, curious about something. "You're not afraid, nor surprised by my form, even though the people of these streets have never seen Pokémon before?"

Mona shook her head. "Not really, weirder stuff has happened, trust me. Wait… Pokémon? You mean those little critters from one of those new continents? And I thought they couldn't speak English?"

Mewtwo sat back down, sighing. "There's four continents, actually… But regardless… Yes, that is true, but note that I'm not actually speaking with my mouth. As a psychic type, I am quite capable of communicating telekinetically."

Shadow had a small smile, as Ken was happily wolfing down his meal. "Pokémon, huh? Interesting. You much help can you be?"

Mewtwo looked at him, swiftly answering. "It may not be common knowledge, but I am one of the most powerful of Pokémon. As well, I have already enlisted the aid of another Legendary, a master of the sky who is concerned over the Ori's impending attempt to invade his domain. Amusing, how I bear a similarity to you, Shadow. After all… I was created in a laboratory, just like you, and was considered an 'Ultimate Life Form' like you, as well."

As Ken happily paid up, Arioso grinned. "Cool! What kind of other powers do you have?"

Shadow then started pulling Arioso out the door by the arm. "Come on, let's stop pestering him. Mewtwo… I am interested to see your full power, when we fight together."

Then, Mona started whispering in Ken's ear. "You know, I think there's some people I know that a few of your friends might like to meet…"

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Ryu kept walking. Mona had told him of a young martial artist who had outclassed everyone else in the city. Problem is, where could he find this warrior?

"Excuse me…"

Ryu turned around, looking at the boy who stood on the pathway behind him, wearing a strange blue Japanese outfit. His hair was black, with white covering the edges. "Are you the legendary World Warrior, Ryu?"

Ryu looked in the eyes of the boy, and noticed something interesting. "You have the eyes of a fighter. Indeed I am, who may you be?"

The kid smiled, moving into a fighting position. "My name is Young Cricket, the finest fighter in this city. I want to see how I compare to you!"

Seconds later, he leapt at Ryu, attacking with three midair kicks, each which Ryu blocked. They were fast, and Ryu could feel their force. "Impressive!"

Ryu countered him with a Hurricane Kick. Young Cricket rolled to avoid it, catching the last kick with his right hand, and executing a quick combo of punches and kicks, which Ryu was quick to block, countering with his own…

This fight wasn't going to end soon.

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Misery stood at the gates of the strange mansion on the edge of the city. She was glad to be off that floating island and exploring the outside world… But she was curious, when she heard of a witch whose mastery of magic was incredible. Yet… She was apparently only 15 years old.

As Misery knocked on the door, it slowly opened, much to her surprise. On the other side, was a small demon-like creature holding a pitchfork. "Oooooooooooooooooooooh, lookie here! I didn't expect to see another witch come by! You are one, aren't you…? Oh, well. Come in. My name's Red, by the way."

Misery nodded, as she stepped in. The hallway was… Creepy. But that didn't faze her, as Red lead her to a specific room. "You came looking for Ashley, right? I can see it in your eyes. Don't expect her to enthusiastic, though."

"I'll… Keep that in mind."

Misery walked into the massive room, the walls lined with spell books of all kinds. In the middle, was the teenage witch, trying out her new spell. Ashley was easily recognizable by her black hair. Her hands flowed with mana, as she stared at the dummy in front of her. Thrusting them in front, a bolt of lightning utterly destroyed the dummy, much to Ashley's satisfaction.

"So, you can preform the Lightning Surge spell…"

Misery walked towards Ashley, with further curiosity. The teenager's expression refused to change. "And you are…?"

"Misery. A witch like yourself… I was expecting to find someone with so much talent to be older."

Ashley turned towards her, still emotionless in expression. "Age matters not, it is a matter of skill. Did you really seek me out just to find a worthy opponent? All I see in front of me, is an old hag."

That did it. Misery's hands surged with energy, in her anger, and launched a dark projectile at Ashley, who knocked it aside. "Oh, did I anger you? You want a fight? I'll give you one."

Red decided to transform into Ashley's staff, which she swiftly pointed at a nearby pot. The plant in the pot suddenly grew into a huge man-eating Hyrda plant, its three jaws snapping at Misery. Misery countered with a five wave spell. Obviously, the plant didn't stand a chance. Ashley then suddenly summoned chains that burst out from the floor and wrapped around Misery, holding her in place. "What, you're surprised that you're being beaten by a teenager?"

Misery summoned her own staff, the dark energies she summoned smashing through the chains. "I'm not beaten!"

Both witches sent Lightning Surge spells at each other, both clashing and not budging either way…

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Tails looked up at the Diamond City High School, blinking. "Can I possibly find that genius in this place…?"

Cosmo smiled, suddenly walking towards the entrance. "You can never know… After all, you're rather young, considering your own abilities."

Tails smiled, putting away the map, and walking in. "Well, we don't know unless we find out, I guess."

It wasn't long until they found something interesting. There was a lot of action going on in a large room, and both of them went in to check it out. It looked like there was a boxing match going on.

"Who will challenge our Invent-Off champion? Can anyone beat this girl?"

Tails took a closer look. Indeed, it looked like a boxing ring in the middle of the room, but the last defeated guy looked like he didn't have a scratch, and was wearing some sort of battle suit. Tails took a look at the champion, a junior high student, and she looked rather cute in that suit of hers. The announcer at the side of the ring looked at him eagerly. "YOU! Are you here to challenge Penny Crygor?"

Tails had a quick think. An 'Invent-Off'? This might be fun. He smiled, before answering, "I didn't come to challenge her, but… Sure."

"ALRIGHTY! Come up here, and pick your suit design!"

Tails was quick to finish up on the program, which made a glass tube form around him, and seconds later, there was a flash. Tails was standing there, wearing a yellow battle suit that let the tails go out the back. He looked at Penny, who was smiling at him. "Hi! I hope you're good. I'm Penny."

"I'm Tails… Do you know Mona, by any chance?"

Penny nodded, immediately confirming Tails' suspicions. The timer hit zero, as the 'Invent-Off' began. Penny showed a small device that fitted onto the arm. "This, is a teleportation device! It's easy to use, and very long-ranged!"

Tails grinned, putting out an arm device of his own. This one had a Chaos Emerald in it. "This one is my 'Chaos Control Teleporter'! Using the power of this Chaos Emerald, I can teleport to any location in range!"

Both of them activated their teleporters at the same time. And they both ended up outside. But something was reacting between both devices, which seemed to tear a hole in space-time, and the result? Sonic suddenly appeared, smiling at Tails. However, there seemed to be a flame burning at his heart area. "Nice suit, Tails… Oh, and get out of the way!"

Sonic was quick to run, as another figure burst out of the portal. A purple-skinned man, with red hair and an Arabian outfit. He was wielding what appeared to be, a giant razor blade. "Come back here, Sonic, you filthy rat!"

Tails managed to dodge the man's blade, Penny still shocked at this result. Sonic kept running from the stranger, dodging his swipes. "This guy is responsible for all this mess! This guy is Erazor Djinn!"

Tails looked at Penny. "Can we call this a tie?"

Penny giggled. "Sure, our teleporters are practically equal!"

Tails then activated his communicator. "Guys… Sonic's here, and Erazor Djinn is loose in our world!"

Sonic's battle with Erazor continued down the street, literally tearing it apart, as Erazor slashed. "So this is your world? I look forward to taking it over!"

"Fat chance, Erazor!"

Link dashed into the scene, Master Sword armed and ready. Blocking one of Erazor's swipes, he struck with a Spin Attack, making the genie roar in pain. "What the… What is that sword?!?"

Erazor was then attacked by Ryu and Young Cricket, who had stopped their battle, and were ganging up on the Djinn with flying kicks. Sonic finished him off with a Homing Attack, slamming Erazor into a wall. Erazor groaned, rising to his feet… And chuckling. "You have the Seven World Rings, am I right? Shahra, did well in using him to gather them… Please… Give them to me… Let us rule these worlds together…"

Shahra appeared, seven coloured rings, like the Chaos Emeralds, appeared around her. Sonic was shocked. "Shahra, stop! Please, think about what will happen!"

"Sonic… I must. I'm sorry. I have no choice. I just want to be back with him…"

Sonic quickly rubbed his ring, forcing her to make the choice. "Shahra, as genie of the ring, I command you! Do what you think is truly right!"

Shahra screamed in pain, dropping the rings, and herself, to the ground. Erazor smiled, as the rings circled him. "Prayers… Sadness… Rage… Hatred… Joy… Pleasure… Wishes… These are the seven hearts that make up the stories. These are the seven world rings that bind the pages of the Arabian Nights together! But the life of the collector of the rings shall be offered up in sacrifice as the key for that control. I offer up your life, blue hedgehog!"

Erazor dashed at Sonic again, taking the hedgehog by surprise. But Sonic didn't get hit. Shahra hung onto him, as the blade went straight into her back. As she fell to the ground, Sonic gasped, and bent down to help her. "Sonic… I'm sorry… I knew… All along… I knew all along… And I still got you involved."

"It's okay! It's not your fault!"

"Did I change my destiny? Did I keep… Our promise?"

"Shahra… Grant me a wish! I wish for you to not die, to go back to the way you were!"

"I'm sorry, master… I cannot grant…"

Then, Shahra's eyes closed, as she died. Sonic's ring broke, as well. Erazor was but merely amused. "Such is the weak power of the genie of the ring…"

Then, a surge of pain went through his body, as Erazor began to morph. Erazor seemed to change into a formless blob, and then suddenly began to form again, as the entire area was slowly partially covered in darkness. A distorted voice echoed. _**"I am Alf Layla-wa Layla. I am the Arabian Nights, and I will be its new creator! I will shape these worlds and these realities, in my own image!"**_

Sonic groaned, as he and everyone else kept their distance. "This is awful… You're just an incomplete monster!"

"Stop saying the obvious, and let's destroy this thing!"

Both Misery and Ashley had arrived on the scene, both reluctantly having stopped their battle. Alf Layala-wa Layla had fully formed, in the figure of a huge six-armed being, with a hideous face. Sonic suddenly realised that three of the rings had entered his body… And he began to change, roaring in pain and anger. His eyes became completely white, his gloves and shoes disappeared, and shining rings on the wrists and lower leg joint. As well, there were the perfectly straight, parallel white lines on his forehead to his quills. He was now Darkspine Sonic. "Shahra… We've got to stop him… Lend me your power!"

Then, Goku and Vegeta flew onto the scene, both impressed by the change. Goku remarked, "That isn't the same super form you showed us before, but I'm not going to argue! Vegeta, are you ready?"

Vegeta, instantly going Super Saiyan, after Goku did, grinned, his fist clenching and prepared to blast someone. "Always will be."

Alf Layala-wa Layla scoffed, tossing dark projectiles at his foes. _**"I will destroy you, and anyone else who questions my authority!"**_

However, these projectiles were swiftly sucked up into a single point, held by Mewtwo, whom had mysteriously come out of nowhere. "I question your ability to combat us."

Mewtwo sent all the dark energy back at Alf Layala-wa Layla, with even more force, in form of a Shadow Ball that slammed into him, forcing the genie's core to emerge from his chest. Darkspine Sonic, seeing the opportunity, raced up to him, and began slamming his palms into the core repeatedly, before executing a double-handed strike, greatly damaging Alf Layala-wa Layla, and forcing the core back in.

Alf Layala-wa Layla was not dettered, however, and began charging a huge energy ball. That's when Goku, Vegeta, Ashley, and Misery stepped in. A combined force of a Kamehameha Wave from Goku, a Final Flash from Vegeta, and two Lightning Surge spells, sent the ball back at Alf Layala-wa Layla, damaging him again, and allowing Darkspine Sonic to get in another series of strikes. This time, it forced open a strange portal. Both Alf Layala-wa Layla (from the force of the blow) and Darkspine Sonic, went through.

On the other side, they found themselves at the town centre of a medieval-like village. The inhabitants had been going through their daily routines, but they stopped in awe as the two powers clash in the middle, not caring about their surroundings. Then, they were interrupted by a strange man with a staff and a strange hooded outfit. "This intrusion in the realm of the Ori is unacceptable! Especially from you, Sonic the Hedgehog…"

Darkspine Sonic was interested in how the man knew who he was, remarking. "Oh, another Prior. You guys aren't as powerful as people make you out to be, you know. Shadow is rather relentless when it comes to killing, like that other Prior."

The Prior didn't speak, but he tried to attack them by activating his staff… And got killed instantly by Alf Layala-wa Layla's claws. _**"This is one thing I have to agree with him on – the Ori are far from Gods!"**_

Darkspine Sonic then noticed a nearby woman, whom was obviously pregnant, and she had dark hair. He used a more powerful version of 'Time Break' to freeze time, changing back to his normal form, and facing the woman, who wasn't frozen, much to her surprise. "Vala Mal Doran, I presume?"

Vala blinked, raising an eyebrow at Sonic. "How did you know my name?"

"Oh, Daniel told me. He also showed photos. A friend of my friend is my friend, you could say!"

Vala smirked, replying, "So we are, then. You and your friends at Chaos Combination are quite a handful, I've heard…"

Sonic then faced Alf Layala-wa Layla once more, changing into his Darkspine form again. "Yeah, I'll tell you all about it later! I've got a Djinn to take care off!'

Time then unfroze, as Darkspine Sonic charged into Alf Layala-wa Layla, right through the same portal rip. It lead back to Diamond City, and as the portal closed, Alf Layala-wa Layla tried another last-ditch energy ball to win. _**"How… How can you have this power?!?"**_

Darkspine Sonic tried to stop the ball with his hands, groaning as he tried to force it back. Mewtwo suddenly flew up, and began helping. Then, everyone else around lent their strengths too. Darkspine Sonic grinned, as he kicked the ball straight at Alf Layala-wa Layla, forcing the core open again. "How's this? Are efforts make our combined strengths far greater than yours could ever be!"

"Sonic, let's finish him!"

A huge ship flew into view. Tails' masterpiece, the Typhoon, was slowly getting into position, as if aiming something. And then, the massive cannon, the Sonic Driver, emerged from the launch strip. Darkspine Sonic flew into the cannon, and was forced into a spinning ball, as the cannon powered up. Tails, Cosmo and Penny were manning the ship, and Alf Layala-wa Layla was the target. Then, Mewtwo teleported right behind Darkspine Sonic, with Ryu and SSJ Goku, all preparing their combined attack. The cannon was locked on, and Tails pulled the trigger.

"Shadow Kamehameha Darkspine Sonic Surge Driver!"

The combined forces were blasted out the cannon, Darkspine Sonic keeping it all together. Alf Layala-wa Layla didn't stand a chance. He was torn to shreds. The darkness slowly faded, and Darkspine Sonic smiled, as he made one single click of the fingers.

Oddly enough, everyone was now in the Throne Room of Erazor's grand palace, now completely purified. Erazor, in the place where Alf Layala-wa Layla was, took up his blade, boasting, "I will not be defeated! If you defeat me, I will simply return, again and again! I am immortal! I cannot be vanquished!"

Erazor, completely ignoring that he was surrounded by his enemies, burst into a satisfied laugh. But his laughter was killed, when Sonic produced a strange lamp. "No… That can't be! That's the…"

Sonic chuckled, remembering how Shahra's death had changed the strange sphere he had into the lamp. "The genie of the lamp has to grant three wishes, am I right?"

"I WILL NEVER GRANT ANY WISH FROM THE LIKES OF YOU!" Erazor roared, in serious denial. As Sonic got up onto the throne, everyone was cheering, "Give him what he deserves!"

"My first wish – bring Shahra back to life!"

Sonic pointed the lamp at Erazor, sending out a beam that knocked the genie back. "My body… My body is…"

Erazor was forced to grant this wish. Shahra's body formed off to the side, floating in midair, and she slowly gained consciousness. Sonic's ring repaired itself, as well. Sonic then continued, declaring his next wish. "My second wish – restore the Arabian Nights to the way they were, so that the world can have its stories again!"

The second beam created a hole in Erazor's chest, which let out a streaming hurricane of letters out, which flowed out the door. By the time they all were gone, Erazor was choking, already tired, only able to watch, as his fate was sealed.

"My third wish… Erazor Djinn, you shall live out the rest of time, trapped in your lamp, as you were in days of old!'

The last beam made Erazor slowly lift into the air, on his way back into his lamp. "Shahra… I know you're there! Please, stop him! We can start over, just the two of us! I swear, I swear it…"

However, his calls fell on deaf ears, and Sonic sighed, as the Djinn pleaded. Erazor realised how futile his efforts were, and as a result, "The world is mine! I will not be denied by that filthy rat! WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?"

Sonic opened the lid, making his stance clear. "I TOLD YOU! I'M NOT A RAT!"

When Erazor went in, all was left was a flame at the lamp's other opening, which Sonic easily blew out. "I'm a hedgehog!"

Everyone cheered. All except one, however. Shahra was crying, and Sonic understood, asking, "Shahra, can you grant me one more wish?"

Shahra nodded to him, as Sonic stepped up the balcony, wishing, "I wish for a mountain of handkerchiefs."

Indeed, a lot of handkerchiefs began floating down from the sky and the ceiling. Sonic placed the lamp on the railing, reasoning, "Now let yourself cry. You'll have plenty of handkerchiefs to help your through it."

Now, one would figure this would end on an emotional note. Wrong. Instead, the mood was all killed off by a sudden surge of handkerchiefs, piling on top of everyone. Sonic and Mario were the first to get to the top, Mario joking, "You DID-a say that you wanted a 'mountain' of-a handkerchiefs."

"Look on the bright side – we don't need to pay for hankies for a long time, if Shahra doesn't need the rest."

_**To Be Continued**_

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_**Author's Note: **_Told 'ya. And it's no secret I love Wario Ware. Brilliant series. I also love the characters. But what creeps myself out, is that I find Penny to be incredibly adorable… And I just like Young Cricket. We'll see Master Mantis later, as he's so damn awesome.

And Sonic and the Secret Rings. Not perfect, but spectacular. It's so ironic that the Nintendo-only Sonic games are the best ones, besides the titles during the Mega Drive/SMS era. Yay for NiGHTS sequel and Mario and Sonic Olympics! The Wii is getting a lot of love.

Also, I've gotten a new text adventure game maker, which I think I can use to create little teasers for future chapters. Sort of like how Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw made those three teaser games for the final Chzo Mythos game, 6 Days a Sacrifice. That series is also good, by the way, but bloody scary. I'm surprised I can actually get through each game… Who knows, I might just put in a tribute in this series. The Tall Man on a killing spree? Who knows. But I'm just saying stuff. And I'll get the new Project Legend chapter done soon, to explain why Mirage was acting so friendly around Legend, something that was a bit of an error on my part.

_**- Cronosonic**_


	14. Chapter 14: A Single Day, a Guardian

_**Chapter 14: A Single Day, a Guardian**_

_**Author's Notes:**_ SPOILER ALERT TO THE MAX! Seriously, I'm spoiling a game series that is free and downloadable on the web. Granted, I already did that for Cave Story, but… Still, I'm warning you. If you don't want to spoil yourself the story of a great adventure game horror series, then go play all four Chzo Mythos games, if you haven't already. Or even better, get the special editions – lots of questions are answered by them. If you don't like those sorts of games, or you hate horror games, or you just don't give a smeg about spoilers, then go ahead. But it really makes much more sense if you play them.

Also, this chapter was once completed, before a save error in MSWord killed most of it. I took it as a sign to make it bigger and better. This is why I now use OpenOffice instead, whenever I'm using Windows.

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"_I knew I should have done this the moment you came into this world, demon child… My God forgive me for having a part in your creation!"_

"_Father, what are you doing?"_

"_Do you see what you've done? I didn't want him to see this! DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!?"_

"_Father, no! Father! FATHER!"_

Maria blinked, as she saw the horrific scene ensue in front of her eyes. She barely had a moment to figure out the dungeon-like room, with a staircase and a pair of shackles in the corner. Something told her that she was in the nineteenth century. Maybe it was the clothing that two of the people that she could see were wearing.

At the top of the stairs, was a boy, around about her age, more or less. He had only just come in, to be horrified at the sight of his father prepared to beat another boy to death, this one in rags and in a terrible condition, as well as being deformed. The father was obviously drunk. He was holding a strange idol in his hands, which he used to hit the boy over the head with. On the second hit, blood started coming out, and the victim was on the floor. Before the third hit, the father instantly changed into tall, twisted mockery of human form, with a black, blood-stained coat, and a white 'mask' that made him look as if he had no face at all. Carrying a palm-tree like weapon with four blades, he drove the blunt end straight through the boy's head.

The vision paused, and appeared like a projection in front of Maria. The same boy at the top of the stairs appeared right beside her, carrying a teddy bear. "Do you see what happened almost two centuries ago? My father's mistake doomed us both, and began a series of events that could doom our world as well."

Maria could barely understand what he was saying. "But... Why did you show me this?"

"You're more important to these events than you realise. There are forces at work that see you as a threat. That man you saw, replacing my father, expect to see him again very soon. As well, the boy who my father killed... He was my twin brother, and he is about to haunt the place you once called home. My name is Matthew Defoe. In life, I was an artist, though my father didn't like this fact until I showed him my last painting. If you see my painting... Can you tell me what you think of it? Please?"

Before Maria could answer, the dream ended abruptly.

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"How long can you sleep?"

Maria groaned, as she rose into a sitting position in her bed, being slightly sleepy. Amy was right next to the bed, giggling, after she had woken Maria up. The enitre room was pink. But then again, it was typically Amy's style. However, one thing stood out in the room – the figure in the dark coat, standing in the corner of the room. Maria's mind kicked into gear, as she spotted the tall man. A wave of fear went straight through her, as she said to Amy, "Turn... Around..."

Amy obliged... Only to scream, as she stared at the Tall Man, alarmed at the bloodstains on the coat, and the even more disturbing hole that went through the torso. But most of all, was the facelessness. She scrambled onto the bed, taking out her Piko Piko Hammer, standing her ground. However, Maria could see that she was shaking. "Stay away!"

The Tall Man didn't seem to listen, as he stepped towards the bed, completely ignoring Amy. As he came close, Amy swung the hammer hard at him. However, with a move of incredible precision and strength, the man caught the hammer by the handle, and tossed Amy aside. His target was Maria.

Maria couldn't move, paralyzed by fear. The Tall Man got on his knees, right next to her, and drew his hand back, as if prepared to tear Maria's heart out. However, he was stopped by a kick to the head. Shadow's strike, however, had missed – the Tall Man had disappeared the instant the foot came into contact. Shadow landed on the bed, keeping his eye out for the intruder. "I could sense that evil from a mile away. I don't know why he's trying to kill you, but I will protect you."

The Tall Man appeared on the other side of the room, weapon drawn, prepared to take on Shadow. However, a strange arrow that came straight through the window, hit him in the shoulder, making him collapse. Shadow sent a Chaos Spear at him, but the Tall Man disappeared again. Shadow waited five minutes, before giving the all clear. Link dashed into the room, sword drawn. "How well did the Light Arrow work?"

"Perfectly. The bastard won't be back until he recovers."

Maria took deep breaths, recovering from the sudden experience. Shadow turned towards her. "We'll have to guard you. You're lucky that I don't sleep, and that Link wakes up early, because that... Thing almost killed you."

Maria smiled, hugging Shadow. "Thank you."

Shadow then remembered something. "Besides... It's a good excuse to take you back up to the ARK. There's been a few important things going on up there."

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"Alright, here is the what you need to know. There has been a few murders of GUN personell on the ARK, which has been linked to a Wooden Idol of African origin, apparently with the soul of a retarded child that kills people – this is currently being investigated by higher-ups from the British Ministry of Occultism. As well, there's been the discovery of a capsule with some interesting contents. Any questions, Maria?"

Maria nodded, as Shadow finished his explanation. The first part erriely reminded her of the dream she had. The father had killed the boy with an idol of some sort, and if definitely looked African. By Matthew's words, it was apparently obvious that the boy had become a murderous wraith.

As the space shuttle (Carrying almost every single important person in Chaos Combination- it could be said that there was barely any room left) landed in an ARK hangar bay, one could see a welcoming committee arriving. It was mostly officials from GUN and the Ministry of Occultism. There was one person that stood out, however. A man in his thirties with blue eyes, wearing a trilby hat, which covered a bit of his black hair. Everything else in terms of clothing, his black waistcoat, grey pants, etc. could be said to be rather 'boring' in terms of colour scheme.

When everyone got out of the shuttle, Cluade was at the front of the welcoming committee. Clearing his throat, he spoke. "Chaos Combination, welcome to the Space Colony ARK. A couple of you are already familiar with this place. As you all know, the Ministry of Occultism is here to investigate the murders, but a special guest only just arrived before you did. Meet an operative from the British government's 'Special Talent Project'. His real name is classified, but he calls himself Trilby. He was once a master thief."

Trilby tipped his hat towards the group. "A pleasure."

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"I was only caught because a traumatic experience got to me. I'm going to explain the rest later. Now, will you kindly get off my case?"

Trilby was surprised by Arioso's persistance in trying to getting information about his past. The kid finally stopped asking, as the group entered a very large room, which had various items around the place, all of them seemed to have been involved in some kind of fire, except for the capsule. The idol which Maria recognized instantly was in a glass case, which had various compact security systems in it. It seemed as if nobody wanted to have it stolen.

"Oh, my... SHINE!"

Blaze suddenly rushed up to the capsule, as if she had recognized the figure inside. On closer inspection, the figure had a rather uncanny resemblance to Blaze herself, except her fur was white. Her dress was mainly yellow, with aqua blue stripes and shoes. Blaze turned around, looking rather annoyed. "Don't just stand there! How do you open this thing?!?"

Sonic was quick to ask, "Before we do that... Who is she?"

"She's my little sister! Now, are you going to help me, or not?!?"

Her rage was enough to get everyone into gear. In no time at all, the capsule was open, and the slowly-awakening girl stumbled out, falling into Blaze's arms. "Shine, speak to me! Are you okay…?"

Shine blinked, as she struggled to regain balance on her own two feet. "S-s-sis?"

Blaze was looking worried. However, Shine pounced her, giggling happily. "SIS! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"

Everyone was surprised, not just at the fact that Blaze actually had a sibling, but that Shine was NOTHING like her sister. Shine was quick to notice them. "Oh! Are you guys Blaze's friends? I'm Shine, nice to meet you!"

Without further adieu, there was a long line of introductions. Then, Trilby was quick to speak. "I'm sorry to interrupt this reunion, but this is extremely important."

As soon as everyone was listening, Trilby cleared his throat, and turned on the projector. "Thank you. These objects around you are from the ruins of Defoe Manor, which is located in the county of Buckinghamshire. Only one of them is really of importance. The manor itself burnt down in 1993. I explored the entire place myself, being trapped in there with four other people, two of them being killed during my time there."

The nearby projector showed photos of the manor before it had burnt down. A kitchen, dining room, and various other rooms, the last one being a trophy room with a lot of hunting trophies on the walls, and the idol was in a glass case, and had a red circle around it. "These are rooms from the manor… As you can see, the trophy room had the idol stored. The first owner of the manor, Roderick Defoe, had two sons. One was Matthew Defoe, who had become a painter despite his father objecting to such an interest. The idol itself holds the soul of John Defoe (I named him that for convenience) whom he had imprisoned here."

Then, it showed the basement, which looked more like a dungeon, which had a pair of shackles in the corner. Seconds after the photo appeared, the familiar, tall, white-masked figure appeared in the middle of the photo, and then disappeared, rather quickly. This caught Trilby off guard. Maria had seen it, too, but nobody else did. Shine blinked, as she noticed Trilby's surprised expression. "Mr. Trilby… Are you alright?"

"I'm fine… Moving on, anyway, Roderick imprisoned John in this room because he blamed him for his wife dying in childbirth. One night, Roderick got drunk, and went down to the basement, holding the idol. It didn't help that it was the anniversary of his wife's death. He beat John half to death with that idol, and Matthew saved his brother from death, only to be murdered, along with his father."

Shadow was quick to interject, "But how did John's soul get trapped in the idol? By your description… John couldn't have come back on his own as a wraith. Wraiths come back by pure will, he would have been too retarded by the time he died."

Trilby smirked, as he answered, "And you'd be right. However, it's more complex than that. I was about to explain this anyway, but your question made this a higher priority. Now… In 80 BC, on Clanbrowyn Island off the coast of Wales, the Romans invaded. At the time, the druids of the region tried to scare them off with their magic, and failed. One druid, Cabadath, tried to take a step further with this. He tried to summon a demon, a demon so powerful, it was feared by all others in the Ethereal Realm. He tried to use a normal demon summoning rite, but to summon Chzo, would require something more complex, so he ended up being taken by Chzo. At this point, anyone in Cabadath's place would have killed. However, Chzo is a pain elemental, it has no use for meat. It tortured Cabadath for 500 years, and planted a huge tree where the druid's house was, and placed his soul in it, making Cabadath a lich. In those years, Cabadath's body was twisted, his mind broken, and his soul emptied."

Everyone else groaned at the thought of 500 years torture. Trilby continued. "Now, before I continue, I should mention that there are three 'Books of Chzo', which were written by a man who lived in the Georgean period of English history, by the name of Jack Frehorn. These books describe Chzo as the 'King' of his little land in the Ethereal Realm, while, because Cabadath ended up becoming Chzo's slave, Cabadath became the 'Prince'. Now, every so often, on the 28th of July, Cabadath would be able to go into our world, which is called the 'Land of Technology' in the books, and extract vengance upon those who have altered the wood of the tree in some way. There are a list of victims who have suffered his wrath on that very day in various years. The first victim, was the woodcutter, who cut down the tree that held Cabadath's soul. It was the year 1501 AD. Cabadath had been given new power, and a nasty weapon, by Chzo, and wasted no time in killing the poor bloke. The woodcutter's son could only throw a stone at the Prince. Apparently, Cabadath only spared the boy because he was pure, and he could tell others of what he had seen. Of course, nobody believed him."

It was Link who spoke next. "We can assume that, as nobody believed in the 'curse', the tree was made into something 'useful'?"

"Actually, that's right. The tree was made into a wall at a hotel in Wales, called 'The Unicorn'. Quite naturally, the first owner disappeared. His son stayed until his death in 1581, not believing in fleeing from mistakes of the past. His guest at the time, Owen Somerset, was unfortunate enough to be there. Cabadath started a fire using the inkeeper's body, and killed Somerset, when the fire was put out. Moving on... The next victim was a certain someone from the Georgean period."

Mega Man answered, "Jack Frehorn was one of the victims?"

"In a sense, yes. Frehorn was fascinated by the occult. He ended up aquiring a harpsicord that had wood in its keys from the hotel. As expected, Cabadath came for him, but pulled a nasty trick. Frehorn was a homosexual, by the way, who was in love with a man named Wilbur. Cabadath created an illusion, which made Frehorn mistake Wilbur for the Prince himself, and consequencely shot him. On the verge of getting killed as well, Frehorn made a vow to serve Cabadath, and in turn, serve Chzo. With Chzo's help, Frehorn wrote the books of Chzo, and formed the cult known as the Order of Blessed Agonies."

Mario was the next one to speak. "Who-a was the next one?"

"Frehorn had the entire harpsicord broken down into its component parts, which were made into a crate for a shipping company known as Omalley Shipping. The ship it was one picked up an African slave by the name of Mbouta. The crew was very kind to Mbouta, and Mbouta wanted to repay their kindness by carving the best idol he had even made. However, he used the wood from the crate. When he went up to return the chisel he used, the entire crew had been slaughtered by Cabadath, who then killed Mbouta. So in other words, that idol you see there, was carved by Mbouta, and holds the soul of Cabadath himself. This leads us to the day of the Defoe murders. Cabadath, when John Defoe was almost dead, brought all three aspect of him, Body, Mind and Soul... He sealed the mind and body in the house, and the soul in the idol. For what purpose? He had made John a being of niether magick, nor technology. He had created the being that could bring Chzo into our world – the Bridgekeeper. If Chzo were to enter The Realm of Technology, who knows what kind of hell he could cause? John Defoe is the key to creating the 'Bridge' between the realms. If all three aspects are destroyed, the 'Bridge' will form, allowing Chzo a safe passage. That's why the idol hasn't been destroyed. I'm responsible for the destruction of the body, but I didn't know at the time, I just wanted to escape from a nightmare. I only found out after several nasty encounters with Cabadath in Clanbrowyn Hotel. The last I saw of him, was when the Blessed Agonies cultist Lenkmann was bringing him into our world, and I think he succeeded."

Shadow was now satisfied. "That explains a lot. But how is the idol involved in the murders on the ARK?"

"Blame John's soul. It's restless, and I know from experience that it leaks mavelance like a broken pipe leaks water. However, the possession that John normally does only happens via touching the idol. It mystifies me as well. I had a feeling sending it off into space should have been a better move than leaving it here… But I can't figure it out."

That was the end of the presentation. Everyone began walking around, talking among themselves. Maria noticed a painting among the Defoe Manor objects. It was rather well done for an amateur. According to the signature, it had been painted by Matthew Defoe, circa 1818. Trilby walked up beside her. "Like the painting, eh? I never gave it much notice, until it showed up in Clanbrowyn Hotel."

Maria suddenly asked him, "Trilby... The man that suddenly appeared in the photo... That was Cabadath, wasn't it?"

Trilby was rather alarmed by how she had seen him. "Yes, it was. So you saw him too? And I thought it would be like Clanbrowyn Hotel, where everyone was oblivious to the nightmare... Look, we have to be careful. If you see Cabadath, or a man with a welder's mask, run as fast as you can."

Maria nodded, before revealing, "Also... I met Matthew Defoe in a dream, last night. He told me that I was important to all this, and that there are forces that see me as a threat. I think these 'forces' are Chzo, and the Order of Blessed Agonies. Cabadath tried to kill me earlier, back on Earth."

Quite naturally, Trilby was surprised. However, he kept his cool, and smiled. "Don't worry about it, for now. Look... Why don't you give me a 'tour' of the ARK?"

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As Maria showed Trilby her favourite places aboard the ARK, Maria learned some interesting things about Trilby. Trilby was a master thief, but he was actually a bit of a Robin Hood-like theif, except he didn't give to the poor. He used to only steal from the rich, and only things that he was sure that the rich don't need. As well, killing was out of the question in those days. "I remember those days clearly. However, it all had to end sometime. I was tainted by my time in that wretched manor. I was possessed by John Defoe during that time, and that possession still plays out in my nightmares, as I watch an innocent man die at my hands, while I stare through unfamiliar eyes. I became convinced that John was not at rest, and that he would some day return for me – I was so terrified of my invisible enemies, that I forgot about my tangible ones. A barrage of truncheon blows, two miserable years after Defoe Manor, taught me a lesson in reality. I was chucked in that filthy cell that I thought would be my new home. But then the man from the government came. I still remember his nervous smile. He was offering me an alternative. The STP – the Special Talent Project. Before, I would have rather died than accepted, but Defoe Manor had changed me. Then, in 1997, a friend of mine was killed by an assailant of a familiar description. I tracked the idol down to Clanbrowyn Hotel, where I encountered Cabadath, and learned of Chzo's plot. Everything else, is history."

Maria nodded. Then, there was a siren. Basically, the alert was, that someone had broken into the same room where the Defoe items were being kept. Trilby swore, as he dashed out. "Don't tell me..."

However, unexpectantly, Trilby found that Cabadath hadn't broken into the room to steal the idol. Something else had. A horde of dark creatures of various types had smashed through the glass case, and were trying to make off with the idol. Chaos Combination were fighting them off. Trilby noted that the idol had been passed on to a smaller creature kinda like an imp, which was fleeing the scene. Out of nowhere, Cabadath attacked it, impaling it on his weapon, but the bugger had tossed it to another of its type, which proceeded to dash into a room with escape pods.

Thinking quickly, Trilby noticed Gordon using his Gravity Gun to fend off a few of the creatures. As if Gordon knew what Trilby was thinking, he chucked the Gravity Gun over for Trilby to use. "I think you'll need this, Trilby!"

Trilby nodded, before picking up a table with the weapon, dashed into the room where Cabadath and the 'imp' had gone, and pulled the trigger. WHAM. The imp fell over, having been hit by the table, and the idol ended up flying into an open escape pod. Cabadath was able to take the idol, but Maria had activated the pod, sending the idol down towards Earth.

Quite naturally, Cabadath turned towards Maria, and tried to attack her. Maria closed her eyes. However, the weapon didn't even touch her. Cabadath was too busy trying to figure why there was an invisible barrier around the girl, which was preventing him from harming her. After several botched attempts, the Prince disappeared.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!?"

Cluade was looking pretty pissed off, as he entered the room, a couple of the Ministry's officials. One of them, this one having white hair, declared, "Quinkan. Those creatures were Quinkan, I'm sure of it!"

Trilby, being rather relieved that this madness had ended, was quick to ask, "Beings from the Ethereal Realm?"

"No. However, I know from my research that the Quinkan, and their leader, the Quinking, are enemies of Chzo. No doubt the Quinkan want to hold the idol to ransom. Where is the idol?"

Maria, having just recovered from the shock, replied, "Trilby managed to get it out of the hands of one of those 'Quinkan', and I had to launch an escape pod, with the idol inside, to stop Cabadath from getting it… From what I can see, the pod will probably crash somewhere along the coast of Australia…"

The official was suddenly shocked, and worried. "The Quinkan originate from the Dreaming… And their main entrance to Earth is in Australia. I have heard news that the Quinkan have invaded an area known as the Southern Rivers, and I think we've given them the opportunity to take the idol!"

Cluade was rather quick to give out orders. "It's settled, then. We go down to the Southern Rivers, and take the fight to them! Most of our GUN forces have been freed up, as the Combine resistance is weakening, and the 'Covenant' turned and ran when they learned of the ARK… We have some fighting forces to turn this new invasion around."

((_**Author's Notes:**_ Sorry for the sudden commentary, but yes, that WAS a hint at the inclusion of the Halo series. I would suppose that the events of Halo 3 would have to be altered a bit, since the Covenant invasion of Earth seems to have failed miserably. And yes, they'll show up to fight the Ori. No, I haven't gotten an Xbox/360, Vista and the PC versions of Halo 1 and 2 solved that problem.

You know, maybe I should make versions of these chapters with written commentary. That would be a nice treat. Ironically, this idea was inspired by the special editions of Chzo Mythos.))

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_Strangely enough, these turn of events have prompted me to wonder. Is Chzo as feared as he is supposed to be? Considering these 'Quinkan' are getting in the way of his plans, it could be said that Chzo has a growing number of enemies prepared to stand up to him._

_I should note, that it's absurdly hot out here._

Trilby was forced to stop writing his notes, as the carrier landed. It was indeed hot, as it was an outback town. Regardless, it was rather lively, even more despite the fact there was an invasion going on. And there was a meeting in the town square. Various anthros were around. At the head of the townspeople, were a group of figures who seemed to represent the local 'fighting force' as it were.

Claude saluted the Green Tree Frog who was wearing a green army uniform. "Claude Arngrim, commander of GUN. Pleased to meet you." The getup seemed to indicate that the frog was the commander of the local fighters. The frog saluted back. "General Dennis, leader of Bush Rescue. Pleased to meet you, too!"

"Yes... Who are your companions?"

Dennis stepped aside, as a Tasmanian Tiger stepped forward. He had green eyes. As well, he was wearing a red pair of shorts, which had a shoulder-belt, and he had what appeared to be an enchanted gauntlet on his left hand. He also had his red scarf. "G'day. I'm Ty, second in command at Bush Rescue."

Sonic whispered to Mario, "He was that close from ripping off my introduction. But aren't Tasmanian Tigers, you know... Extinct?"

"Nope. The last ones got sealed in the Dreaming, thanks to Boss Cass, and Ty was the one to get them out."

Sonic was taken off guard by the girl who had walked up right next to him. The dingo with the aqua blue eyes had a bluish-kahiki jacket, with a red shirt underneeth. Her pants were more or less the same as her jacket, while she wore a belt which also held her blaster gun, not to mention she had brown boots, and fingerless gloves. "Sorry, I didn't introduce myself, did I? The name's Sharon, but others call me Shazza."

Quite naturally, the introductions were extensive. But it did get interesting. Shadow noticed one particular member of Bush Rescue. The dark, anti-hero looking Tassie Tiger, Sly, looked straight back at him, gripping his DeadlyRangs tightly. Almost on instinct, both of them threw their respective projectiles at each other. Shadow's Chaos Spear collided with the Rang, creating an explosion that didn't hurt anyone, but it gave everyone a good scare. When the smoke cleared, Shadow and Sly had the backs of their right arms against each other. They they walked away from each other, without saying a word. Maria giggled. "Shadow's found a new rival."

Trilby nodded. "What they did indicated a mark of respect for each other, I think..."

Then, a second group of anthros came forward. Worms. A literal army of 'em. They seemed to have been involved in numerous battles. Boggy B, the commander, introduced himself. "Commander Boggy B, here. We haven't been here all that long, but we've given our aid to force back these Quinkan invaders."

All of a sudden, a nasty group came up. Accompanied by his bodyguards, the Cassowary, Boss Cass, made his introduction. "I am Boss Cass, president of Cassopolis. I only agreed to help with this war, because those bloody Quinkan are threatening my city! Oh, and this is my second in command, Fluffy."

Fluffy, the Thorny Devil with the purple and black getup that would remind some people of Rouge the Bat, pouted. "I'm only with him for the money. From how I've worked with the others, I'm considering changing jobs."

From his perch, the old Cockatoo, Maurie, made his speech. "Well, blimey. We've got a lot of new friends to help us out. I can't thank you guys enough. Anyway, all we need to do, is storm the Quinking's lair. There's a portal not too far from Cassopolis, not doubt guarded by numerous Quinkan. Luckilly, we have the Quinking's weakness – the Shadowring, which Ty has. Well, best of luck to you all."

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"A pacifist, eh?"

Boggy B looked over towards Maria, as the transport headed over to their destination. Shadow nodded. "She wouldn't hurt a fly. She just wants everyone in this world to be happy."

The battle-hardened worm nodded curiously. "You know... Trilby insisted on taking her along, because she's important to the business with the idol, and whatnot. If I knew of her nature before, I could have asked one of my men to tech her some first-aid! Healing wounds would be a perfect job for her."

Trilby had overheard this, and this gave him some interesting thoughts. Meanwhile, Ty was conversing with Sonic, showing off the Shadowrings. "They don't look like your normal boomerangs, but they work! With the Shadow Stones in those slots, I can feel the power pulsating from it!"

Sonic was kinda impressed, but he shook his head. "You think you're the only one with some powerful items? I think not!"

Much to Ty's surprise, the Chaos Emeralds circled Sonic's head. In a flash, Ty was staring in awe at Super Sonic. "Crikey! Now that's power!"

Super Sonic suddenly flew straight out the window, having noticed that they were at their destination, and tore through a horde of Uberquin with a single spin attack. However, he was forced to dodge the oncoming surge of projectiles that were aimed at the enemy. The Worms, GUN, Goku and Vegeta had been the culprits.

"Well, why are you guys standing around? Let's do this!"

Entering the portal went without a hitch. In no time at all, the good guys were tearing through the canyons of the Quinking's lair. Trilby was glad that the lair resembled nothing like the Ethereal Realm, but it still have him horrible memories. The landscape was mostly purple, looking practically another planet, even with a greenish-blue sky. It was no 'fortress', in the built sense, but the landscape practically made itself a fort. They reached a small plateau, oddly shaped like a perfect circle, which had a path leading up to the top. From there, they could hear a female voice. "My, my, Cabadath... What would Chzo's Prince want with me?"

They stopped, and listened. They were barely able to see over the top. Cabadath was standing a few metres away from a purple Quinkan, which, oddly enough, resembled a Tasmanian Tiger, and had glowing crystals sprouting out, as if they were imitating a Tasmanian Tiger's features, including its markings. Even odder, was that this Quinkan had a mouth, and breasts (Though lacking nipples), which indicated a female. The female Quinkan listened to an inaudiable voice, before she replied, "Oh, you mean... This?"

She suddenly produced the idol, as a sly grin went over her face. "I know very well what this is, Cabadath. If Chzo wants it, he'll have to take from me, personally. So take a hike!"

Cabadath took a step towards her. However, the female's grip tightened on the idol, and Cabadath fell on all fours. "Cabadath, don't be stupid. I may not be my father, but I know you are in no position to threaten me. After all, I have your soul item in my hands, and as long as I do, you're powerless against me."

"I believe that's ours!"

Ty rushed forward. Suddenly, a barrier surrounded the plateau, seperating Ty from everyone else. The female Quinkan was rather pleased. "Hello, Ty. Pleasure to meet you at last. Oh, and by the way... I don't want this thing anyway, not to mention it's safer in your hands."

She threw the idol through the barrier, and it landed in Maria's hands, much to Trilby's shock. However, there were no negative effects. Trilby spluttered, "How the...?"

"Trilby, I thought you figured it out by now. She can suppress Defoe. In fact, she's one of the only two humans who can do this – the other one being you."

Ty interuppted, "Before you say anything more, who are you? Where is the Quinking?"

The Quinkan stepped towards Ty, ignoring Cabadath, who had disappeared. "Oh, I'm so sorry... I forgot to introduce myself. I am the Quinqueen... My father was the Quinking, but he has long passed away. He went off to make a surprise invasion of Japan, but he ran into another king. The Japanese call him Gojira, in the west, he is called Godzilla... Whatever the name, he possesses the title 'King of Monsters', which he proved to be worthy of, by destroying my father. And so, I inherited the leadership of the Quinkan... And I only took on a 'Tasmanian Tiger' form to match your abilities, as well as another reason."

Ty blinked. This was no what he was expecting. "Blimey... Okay, continue."

Quinqueen cleared her throat, as she looked at Trilby once more. "Trilby... For a wraith to be crammed back in its rotting bones is a traumatic and painful experience. Then, to be shot down, then set alight, unable to die, to feel the constant agony of body and mind burning to ash... Before that, John feared only his father. After what you did, Trilby... You became, in John's mind, the embodiment of pain. John Defoe fears you, even more than you fear him, and your mere presence acts as a suppressant, a ward against him. You are utterly immune to John's corrosive influence, though you never realized it, until now."

Trilby, thinking it over, nodded slowly. "I see, now... But I only have a hint of an idea of how Maria can do it. She's a pacifist..."

Quinqueen nodded. "Good, good... Let me finish. Maria doesn't like seeing others in pain. She gave her own life to save another. She wants everyone on Earth to be happy, despite that she once had a terminal disease, being selfless in that respect. She understands that fighting is nessesary when there is no other option, but she refuses to fight, herself. On the other side of the spectrum... Chzo is virtually the finest torture expert in any realm, and he loves to inflict pain. He feeds off it, doing things for himself, and only himself. Need I say more? Maria is virtually Chzo's opposite. And her death and revival, rising above the pain inflicted on her, only makes this more apparent. There are other factors, but I'll leave that for you to figure out. Because of this, Maria is immune to John's influence, and Cabadath cannot touch her."

Maria found all this a lot to take in. She was pretty much unable to say anything.

Quinqueen suddenly noticed Shadow, and walked up to the barrier, smiling. "Well... While we're on the topic of Maria... Shadow the Hedgehog, I presume? Son of Black Doom..."

Shadow slammed his fist into the barrier, annoyed. "Do NOT speak that name in front of me! I may have his blood, but I am not his son!"

Quinqueen giggled, as she turned around. "Son by blood, regardless of the fact that you disowned him. At least you don't share his ideals. My father and I hated the Black Arms, we were happy to see them bugger off into the Realm of Technology. Yes, the Black Arms were magick beings, just like Chzo and the Quinkan, they combined technology with their magick, after they left their realm, and began scouring the universe for a suitable planet to take over, on that bloody comet of theirs. Since you exist, a creature of both Magick and Technology... You could be suitable enough to be a Bridge, just like Defoe."

Shadow didn't care one bit, pouting, as Quinqueen walked towards Ty. "Now that those fools are out of the way... Oh, come now, Ty, those rangs won't be needed. I don't want to fight you."

"What, you're going to try and convince me to join your cause? Me, join the race that invaded my home? No way!"

Quinqueen rolled her eyes, as she looked to the side. Ty saw what she was looking at. Boss Cass was standing there, his eyes completely green, as if he was possessed. Quinqueen giggled, as she circled the possessed Cassowary. "This old fool invited us! He thought we would give him the Soutern Rivers if we took over, but he was mistaken. So blame him, instead."

Boss Cass dashed off, as Quinqueen walked straight up to Ty. "So... Yeah, you're right. I was about to convince you. But had it been anyone else... We would be fighting by now. But, I've been observing you. Never get a chance to go anywhere, so watching you fight while I commanded my forces was quite a hobby of mine. And something else came of it."

Next thing Ty knew, Quinqueen had locked lips with him. After the seconds of shock had worn off, Ty broke away, finding himself forced against the barrier. "You... You're in love with me?!? Falling in love with the enemy is rather unexpected concept..."

Quinqueen had pushed herself against Ty, an obvious blush on her cheeks. "Yeah. Think... You and meet, king and queen of the Southern Rivers, and whatever territories we conquer! We can bring order to the world-"

Ty had slapped her. Ty's grim look seemed very unlike him, but... "Listen, Quinqueen. Here's a reality check. You invaded my home, and I like it the way it is. I don't want to be a ruler of anywhere, not even with you. You and your father, even if Cass invited you, started this mess. And you're losing. If I kill you here, it's all over. But, you can stop this. The Quinkan don't need to be a warlike race. If they could live peacefully with other races, then everything would be better. All you have to do, is give the order. So, if you truly love me... You'll end this conflict, here and now."

Quinqueen rubbed the spot where Ty had slapped her... And sighed. "I see. Curse my father's teachings... He was always a warlord, and I guess that nature carried over to me. But I'm tired of all this. So... Yes. It's over."

A huge cheer burst out from the crowd behind the barrier. Maria was even more happy. "Ty... You brought peace to both our worlds, but not through fighting. Thank you."

Ty gave the thumbs up. "Hey, you never know how it's all gonna end, eh? You beauty..."

Ty suddenly noticed something behind him. He tackled Quinqueen over. "LOOK OUT!"

A laser blast barely missed them, striking the barrier, and taking everyone by surprise. A sudden lightning beam hit Ty and Quinqueen, draining their energy within seconds. Ty was barely able to move. "Cass... You..."

Boss Cass, now no longer possessed, had a laser cannon. And he wasn't afriad to use it. Next to him, were Shazza, Sly, and Fluffy as hostages, tied up and unable to help Ty. "It looks like I have you at a slight disadvantage. I was hoping for you two to exaust yourselves fighting, but my drainer did the job perfectly. Thank you, Quinqueen, for the barrier... Now I can kill Ty and the Quinqueen, unhindered, and nobody can stop me! I had to get Shazza and Sly front seats, of course, as well as Fluffy, but I only tied her up because I can't trust her right now. After all, I suspect that she's making a rather annoying bond with you, Ty. But with one shot, that can be fixed... Farewell, Ty! We won't miss you! Well, I won't! Hahahahaha!"

Boss Cass pulled the trigger. Much to his shock, Fluffy had broken out of the ropes, and was directly in the path of the blast. It was obvious – she was sacrificing herself to save Ty!

"Chaos Control!"

"Nayru's Love!"

"Kamehameha!"

Without warning, Shadow, Goku and Zelda sprung into action. Shadow use Chaos Control to teleport Fluffy, Ty and Quinqueen out of the way. The beam had been blocked by a barrier that Zelda had created. And Goku, using Instant Transmission, was able to use a Kamehameha on the other side of the barrier, which gave Zelda the all-clear to remove her shield. The laser beam was overhwhelmed, and the cannon exploded, knocking a comically-burnt Cass a few metres away. As Cass tried to get up. Shadow knocked him back down, and placed his shoe on Cass' neck. "Don't even think about it."

Sly and Shazza helped Ty and Quinqueen up. Fluffy, having recovered from the shock, dashed over to them. "I thought I was a goner... But at least it was me, and not you."

Ty chuckled. "Fluffy, you didn't have to do that... But, thanks."

The barrier suddenly faded, and everyone came over to celebrate. Shadow had suddenly released Cass, with a sly grin on his face, as he nodded to Blaze. Blaze, in turn, said to Shine, "He's all yours."

Shine purred eagerly, as Cass noticed the flames surrounding her hands. Insintictively, Cass started running. But withing seconds, he had been pounced. "Oh, please, no-OH GOD, NOT THE TAIL FEATHERS!"

Cass was running around, his tail having been set alight, and was scared out of his wits, screaming. Shine was chasing after him. "Hold still, you silly birdie!"

This came as an amusement to everyone else. But what was surprising, however... Was that Trilby was laughing, for the first time in AGES. Maria was happy as well, because she could tell how much mental pain Trilby had been in, and laughter could only soothe it.

Ty suddenly ask Quinqueen, "You know... Do you have a name, besides your title?"

Quinqueen sighed. "Normally, it is a custom for Quinqun rulers to abandon their names, once they ascend to the throne. But, things are changing now, so... My name is Nelia."

"Nelia? I'd prefer to call you by that, if you don't mind."

Nelia could only giggle at this, indicating that she didn't mind one bit.

Claude suddenly went up to Trilby. "Trilby, you know... I've read your history, and I think it would do you much good if you 'joined' Chaos Combination. After all, the STP hires out its members to other government branches, and though CC isn't one, you could be an exception."

Trilby took a deep breath. "I'll think about it."

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_I did, and I agreed. Fortunately, my superiors were much in favor of this, and I was transferred to the Chaos Combination Headquarters immediately. Bush Rescue has become a 'branch' of the organization, and Nelia has created a peaceful and stable reign for herself. GUN has declared the Order of Blessed Agonies to be terrorists, and are actively hunting them down. They have also established a blockade around the ruins of Defoe Manor, though its been reported that the manor has been recreated as a manifistation, a construct created by John's Mind due to the distance between it and the Soul, which doesn't surprise me in the least. GUN soldiers has tried to scout the construct, only to encounter to Welder, which they wisely fled from. Luckilly, the Welder cannot venture beyond the manor._

_I now understand why Matthew contacted Maria. The girl is practically Chzo's greatest obstable. The power given to her by fate... I don't need to write any more on that._

"TRILBY! Are you coming out, or what?"

Trilby sighed, as he paused his note-writing, and yelled, "Alright, I'm coming!"

_My time at Chaos Combination has been short so far, but I'm beginning to see why this was such a good idea. I've been working alone for so long. To work with a crowd of varied and interesting people, colleages that I can rely on, will undoubtably help soothe the pain that Defoe Manor and Clanbrowyn Hotel gave me, in various ways. The space battle with the Ori is almost time, and I can only wonder what the future will hold for all of us._

_- Trilby_

Trilby left his notes on his desk. Right next to his name, was a signature in the shape of a hat.

Trilby, when he came out into the indoor football field, saw various members of Chaos Combination waiting for him. "Sorry I'm late, I was writing up my notes."

Positioning himself to make the starting kick, Trilby locked eyes with Mario, who was in the mirror postion from him, and smiled, as his foot hit the side of the ball.

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"_Your painting was very nice, Matthew."_

"_Thank you. Well... As you know, you are a very big obstacle in Chzo's plans. Chzo cannot reach you, and Cabadath cannot touch you, but the Order of Blessed Agonies know of your gift, and will do everything in their power to see you destroyed. Good luck, Maria Robotnick."_

Maria awoke, feeling a strange prescence in her room. Cabadath was standing in the corner, observing her. He couldn't touch her, nor was Maria afraid of him. As Maria stared at the evil figure, it gradually became replaced by what Cabadath had once been. A celtic druid, a bearded man with a sad look on his face. _"All of this was my fault... I was so sure that I could control Chzo, but my arrogance betrayed me. I didn't want this pain, nor to inflict it on others! Maria, help me-"_

Tragically, as the man burst into tears, the Prince appeared right behind him, snapping his neck. The druid disappeared, as his body dropped. Cabadath the Prince then vanished. Maria hugged the idol tightly, as she closed her eyes, wanting to comfort both the souls inside of it...

_**To Be Continued**_

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_**Author's Notes: **_Well, that was an interesting chapter. Trilby is sure to lighten up as time goes by, hopefully. There's three master theives in this fanfic, that I can count. Trilby, Rouge, and Wario. Trilby is sensible, and certainly has better morals than the other two. Rouge in-between. Wario is a greedy bastard who will backstab his friends just for the sake of getting cash. Go figure.

And I almost forgot! Shine! Yep, I definitely didn't write enough with her this time around... Maybe. But I didn't think it was the right time. I'll do more in a future chapter, I promise. Only so long until the battle with the Ori, and so much to do! Bloody hell. Maybe I should do a bit of a wrap-up for the pre-battle saga before I get on to the good stuff. We'll see.

OH. BUGGER. I almost forgot... YES. Godzilla, the King of Monsters himself, is involved in all this, as Nelia's explanation made it clear. There's so many Kaiju, I must admit... But the fact that Godzilla has a number of games rivaling various anime/manga makes him a very suitable canditate. And the fact that Godzilla: Final Wars ended in a way that I can make Godzilla show up without any confusion, makes me a happy person indeed. And also, before I forget, expect to see the commentary edition of this chapter, and others... When I figure out where to put the damn things.


	15. Chapter 15: Mega Men Of Many Worlds

_**Chapter 15: Mega Men Of Many Worlds**_

"This has been a frantic week…"

Maverick Hunter commander Signas kept calm, as he tried to sort out the numerous reports that came in. He was waiting for a communication from a new contact. Right on cue, the image of a fair, blonde-haired woman appeared on screen. "Ah, Dr. Ciel. How have things been going?"

"Not good, I'm afraid. Neo Arcadia is in possession of the Dark Elf. They had to send a missile into a residential area to get it… Events went fast, and now Dr. Wiel is the leader of Neo Arcadia. I fear for what will happen next."

For Signas, this wasn't good. He then made his decision. "I'll send my best hunters to assist with the situation. I'll also contact the leading authority on robotics. If they can't help you, well… No-one can."

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X, Zero and Signas, as well as another Hunter, Axl, waited at the entrance of the resistance base. Axl was less experienced than them, but his skills were still impressive.

Then, a large group teleported in, headed by Mega Man, Dr. Light and Dr. Wily. The others consisted of Roll, Rush, and the eight original Robot Masters, Cut Man, Guts Man, Ice Man, Bomb Man, Fire Man, Elec Man, Time Man, and Oil Man. Time Man sighed, as he checked his internal clock. "We're right on time, early by 0.734653574245764 seconds."

Axl was gaping in awe. "Holy CRAP, that's precise."

Time Man smiled, as he shrugged. "Well... I am perfection."

Elec Man chuckled. "That's a lot to say, considering you are... Unfinished."

"Oh, shut up."

X smiled. "Dr. Light, are these...?"

Light nodded. "The very first line of the Robot Master series of robots, the series that preceded Reploids. Wily and I worked on these robots together, before Wily went... You know."

Wily laughed it off. "Things have changed, Thomas. Now, are we supposed to meet Dr. Ciel, or simply stay out here talking amongst ourselves?"

The group went inside, lead by the resistance base guards, to the command room. It looked like a giant teleporter room, with an operator on each side. Ciel walked up to them, right before she gasped. "X… Zero?!?"

Zero blinked, as he was reminded of someone he once knew. "H-h-have we met before?"

He then noticed another figure walk in from the other side of the room. It was Zero… To be precise, a seemingly more battle-hardened version, if not a copy. The other Zero asked Ciel, "Who are these?"

Ciel looked between them. "They're… The Maverick Hunters, and… Oh, dear. I'm sorry, it's not easy to get one's head around this."

The two Zeroes walked up to each other. They suddenly drew their beam sabers, striking at each other, their blades locking precisely. The other Zero narrowed his eyes. "If you're with the Maverick Hunters… What does that make me? A 'Neo' Zero?"

Zero chuckled. "Actually, that's a neat name."

They deactivated their weapons, before gathering around the middle of the room. Axl asked, "Okay, what the HELL is going on here?!? Two Zeroes? What's next, two of me and X?"

Neo Zero remarked, "I'm not so sure about you, but X, on the other hand…"

Ciel sighed. "Let's start from the beginning. These are two timelines, melded together, so to speak. Actually, three…"

Dr. Light nodded. "Yes, me and my earlier robots and Wily, then there is the Maverick Hunters, and you…"

"The furthest into the future. A future where the Maverick Hunters no longer exist, but the Maverick problem still persists, in some ways. A 'utopia' called Neo Arcadia has long been established; I created its now destroyed leader, a copy of X."

Mega Man asked, "So, this 'utopia' isn't actually as good as it seems?"

"Yes. The government of Neo Arcadia has strict anti-Reploid laws designed to protect the human populace from Mavericks. This results in much oppression of Reploid workers who are often executed for petty crimes or other false pretenses, and I ended up leading the resistance against Neo Arcadia. But there's another problem. An energy crisis. That's the reason why there's so much conflict. I created an energy system that could solve the crisis... But now, Weil, filling in the power vacuum that Copy X's destruction created, could cause more destruction."

"Miss Ciel! The other visitors have arrived!"

Light asked, "Other visitors?"

Three figures walked in. One was a girl in a rather stylish commander's outfit. The other two were teenagers, brown hair and blue garments, almost identical, except for their hairstyles and genders. Ciel smiled. "Prairie, Vent, Aile... Welcome to the resistance base."

Prairie, the more distinct girl of the three, nodded. "This place is just as I remember it, sis..."

Axl suddenly asked, "And... Who are you two?"

Vent chuckled, before speaking. "I'm Vent, and this is my sister, Aile. We're the holders of the Biometal fragments X and Z, the Model ZX Mega Men!"

Before Axl could ask what that meant, Vent and Aile demonstrated. They activated a strange system. Aile suddenly had X's armor on, and Vent had Zero's. Aile then changed into the Zero outfit, as Zero asked, "What is going on here?"

"We can answer that question."

Two objects hovered in front of Vent and Aile. They somehow represented X and Zero, in a way. The blue one answered, "We're the Biometal fragments X and Z. We're you, even further in time beyond Neo Arcadia's period. In our time, peace has mostly been restored, as well as the energy crisis handled, by a man named Serpent. However, Serpent wields a Biometal called Model W, and has been planning his world conquest for years. Prairie is the commander of a force of "Maverick Hunters" known as the Guardians. There's a lot of explaining."

Neo Zero interuppted. "Unfortunately, we have a much more urgent matter. Neo Arcadia has the Dark Elf... And Ciel has only just recovered a file on the 'Elf Wars'. X, Zero, you might want to listen."

Ciel played the data.

_File #945388_

_ Elf Wars _

_Near the end of the Maverick Wars, many Cyber Elves were used... The period from this time until the end of the fighting is referred to as the Elf Wars, as a result. In particular, the use of a giant elf known as the "Dark Elf," and copies of this elf, known as "Baby Elves", to amplify the power of Reploids... While controlling said Reploids at will... Made this the worst war in recorded history... While the use of the Dark Elf brought the war to an end in four years... Approximately 90 of all Reploids... And 60 of all humans were wiped out._

"The technology of using baby elves at this time... The technology of using Baby Elves to control Reploids. This must be what Weil is attempting to use again. I'm sure of what Neo Zero saw at the Dark Elf copy factory, was machinery prepared for just this purpose."

X was horrified. "Controlling Reploids...? This is worse than the Sigma Virus!"

"... Hehehehehehe... Excellent detective work, Dr. Ciel."

Ciel looked at the operators, who were clearly not themselves. "What...?"

"Unfortunately... You were a little too late."

Neo Zero was on his guard. "Is that Dr. Weil?!"

A huge screen came up, showing a man in a rather elaborate life-support suit. Behind him, was a huge Reploid in golden armor. Dr. Weil chuckled. "Hehehehe... This time, Omega is absolutely perfect. I can now manipulate all the Reploids on the planet, without using the Baby Elves, and make them do whatever I want! Hehehehe... Time to start, Omega. Now you will see, pitiful humans, what you get for banishing Dr. Weil! Taste the fear... Foolish Reploids who banished me! Inscribe my name upon this world... The name of your new ruler! The name is Dr. Weil. The entire world is in my hands... I have the power to crush it between my fingers at any time!"

Dr. Light roared, "Weil, you are a most foul man!"

"Hmph. I don't care what the supposed greatest of robot scientists thinks, when you have been surpassed!"

The operators laughed, as the screen faded, and resistance soldiers emerged, pointing their guns. Everyone prepared themselves for a fight. Axl suddenly had a thought. "Wait... Why aren't WE affected?!?"

Everyone ignored that question. Ciel groaned, "This can't be happening!"

One of the soldiers spoke, "A new world... A new order... History is once again in motion... Inscribe it upon the world... The name of our ruler... Wiel! Wiel! Wiel! Wiel! Wiel! Wiel! Wiel! Wiel! Wiel! Wiel!"

"Both of you, freeze!"

Suddenly, a Cyber-elf came down, knocking out the soldiers. Its figured changed… To that of X. "It's okay. They're just unconscious. All I did was just disable the power of the Dark Elf. But my current power can only protect those at this base."

X looked on in shock. "You... You're me..."

Neo Zero looked at him. "Took you long enough, X. Where's Weil?"

"In Neo Arcadia's underground power system... 'Sub Arcadia'! Omega is there too, transmitting the power of the Dark Elf around the world."

Neo Zero nodded. "Apparently... We're the only ones who can move around freely. X. Tell us the coordinates for Sub Arcadia."

"So you plan on fighting against Omega?"

"Yes... Why?"

"Nothing... I'm sure you'll be fine. X... Zero... All of you... Be careful. There's more than meets the eye."

Cyber-Elf X disappeared, as the operators recovered. "I... I've verified the coordinates for Sub Arcadia on the transfer device."

Everyone nodded, as they prepared for their mission. The doctors, and Prairie, stayed to the side...

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"So... Your mom was killed ten years ago?"

As the group tore their way through Sub Arcadia, Zero had asked Vent this sudden question. "Yeah. It's still painful to remember... But those are memories I'd rather not cast aside."

Aile suddenly interrupted, "We're almost there!"

They reached a strange computer room. Weil's voice echoed. "Having fun playing heroes? Hmm?"

Neo Zero replied, "You do understand, Weil, that we have no time for your petty games? So let's finsh this once and for all, shall we?"

"Hehehehe... How pitiful. Of course, a Reploid like you would never understand. The joy of ruling all that you see... Only a human could possibly understand!"

"A... Human?"

"That's right! I'm a bona fide human. The creator of Reploids... A human being! The desire for power... The joy of making everything work for you. You have no way of experiencing this without a human brain. It's the ultimate joy! No mere Reploid could ever understand!"

Zero chuckled. "I bet most decent humans wouldn't understand, either."

Aile continued, "Human or not, you seem like just another Maverick! Like Serpent."

Neo Zero remarked, "All we have to do, is dispose of you like any other Maverick."

"Good, good! An excellent speech! You must feel good, right?!"

Suddenly, Omega appeared in front of them. "Oh, ho ho! Zeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrroooooooooooo!"

"You were a fun guy, Zero! I'd like to play some more, but it's time we parted. I have some more fun surprises in store for you... Enjoy them to the last, Zero!"

Suddenly, Omega began to chuckle... And then burst into laughter. "Weil... You are a true fool."

"Eh? Omega, what are you-"

"Omega is not my name. It may be the name of the body, but not the mind inhabiting..."

Omega, using his disembodied hands, tore off his helmet. The head underneath was familiar to X, Zero and Axl. "SIGMA!"

Indeed, it was the ugly mug of Simga. Weil was equally horrified. "No.. This cannot be possible!"

"It was your fault, Weil. You didn't see my virus take over the Dark Elf, and in turn, Omega, when they were most vulnerable. And before you say anything, X, Zero, Axl... Lumine didn't have a clue. He thought I was gone for good, but I always prepare for the worst. I had prepared a suitable vessel for my virus to return to Earth prior to my body's destruction. So I bided my time, and waited for the right opportunity. And it came. This, is the perfect body. I may be outnumbered, but not outgunned! Now, die!"

Sigma armed a huge sword, striking at the heroes. Naturally, they all got out of the way. Next, a hail of projectiles was sent at him, forcing him to spin his blade in a circular motion, at such a speed that everything bounced off. Suddenly, a 'clock hand' projectile went past at incredible speed, and struck the gem on his forehead, making him flinch. "GAH!"

Time Man chuckled, as he sent another projectile at him. Sigma was suddenly overhwhelmed by the surge of attacks coming at him. X and Zero struck the final blow, with X firing a charged shot, and Zero jumping up and driving his sword straight through Sigma's skull. As he pulled the blade out, Sigma dropped into the crumbling ground bellow, as the entire area was surrounded in flames. Then, Sigma emerged as a gigantic mech hybrid of X and Zero. "I am... Your destruction..."

"You never shut up."

Several bombs hit Sigma. What could be described as a Boba Fett look-alike dropped down. Suddenly, another two figures came down, one with a scythe, the other with a dual-bladed beam saber, striking Sigma rapidly. Then, a girl in a strange blue outfit appeared, sending surges of electricity at him. Sigma roared, as much damage was inflicted. X and Zero recognized two of them. Zero chuckled. "Vile... Dynamo... I wasn't expecting you two to show up."

Vile scoffed. "We're here to settle old scores."

Dynamo chuckled. "I was getting sick of Sigma, anyway."

Vent asked, "Prometheus, Pandora... Why are you here?"

The scythe-wielder went up beside the girl. "Serpent's orders. He's caught wind of Omega... Or should I say, Sigma. Right now, Sigma isn't proving to be a challenge at all."

BOOM. Everyone found themselves in a huge wreckage, with a strange chamber in the middle. Neo Zero asked, "What is this place...? This is where I was sleeping..."

Weil's voice boomed, now regained in his confidence. "Excellent, Zero! Your power is extraordinary, for a mere fake."

"Fake?!?"

Suddenly, a burst of light emerged from the wreckage. A figure similar to Zero emerged. Weil cackled, "You, the legendary Reploid? You fool! Those resistance losers just decided to call the Reploid they found here 'Zero' for some reason... You may be Zero, in a way, but you are still merely a copy. You're no legendary Reploid. You're just a reproduction!"

As the 'original' Zero stood tall, Weil continued. "You thought you were a hero all along, didn't you! Never suspecting that you were a mere copy. What a joke! Omega is the one and only, original Zero! You're just a copy of him!"

"The original Zero... Why is he your slave, then?"

"Hmph! He's a bloodthirsty God of Destruction, all I did was upgrade him to draw out all his power! Alright, Omega, or should I say, 'Original Zero'! Time to wake this pitiful fake from a century-long dream!"

The 'Original Zero' suddenly laughed. "You IDIOT. Once again, you prove your foolishness. This is only Zero's original body, the mind is in that so-called fake! I am Sigma, no matter whose body I inhabit. Remember... The Maverick Virus originated from Zero himself. At last, it has returned to its true owner. This time... You fools will not escape alive. Weil! I will see to your demise once these fools are done for."

Sigma drew his saber, And suddenly, both Zeroes dashed at him, striking quickly. Sigma blocked both of them, countering quickly. "Zero... You forget, I was the one who taught you the ways of the blade. This body is lighter and more powerful – no wonder you almost defeated me in our first encounter!"

Sigma, with incredible speed, slashed back, damaging the two Zeroes. He dashed past, towards X and Axl. A double charged shot knocked both of them away. "So much for your potential, X!"

Vent and Aile suddenly went at Sigma with models Fx and Hx. Sigma suddenly out-performed Vent's double blades, sending him sprawling, and used an aerial slash to avoid Aile's projectiles, and sent energy slashes at her. "Mega Men? Pathetic!"

Dynamo went in with his dual-sided saber, going toe-to-toe with Sigma. However, even his skills weren't enough to match, as he was forced to retreat from a wound. "Not bad, Dynamo, but not good enough."

Prometheus suddenly attacked, going toe-to-toe as well, but he suffered a similar wound. Pandora's lighting attacks missed, as she was struck down. "Serpent's lackeys... Not bad. But if that's all he has to offer..."

He then spun around, sending Mega Man's buster shot back at him. "The original Mega Man... X's predecessor. You had potential, but you're outdated now."

Even when the furry of Robot Master weapons came at him, Sigma sent the robots on the run. Then, he faced Vile. "Vile... You traitor."

"Traitor? You knew I was a loose cannon from the beginning. I always plotted to stab you in the back and take over this world-GACK!"

Sigma had already driven his saber through Vile's chest. Tearing the blade out, Vile teleported out. Sigma looked over his shoulder. "Fufufu... Is that all? I wonder why I lost to you, now..."

X cursed. Everyone was hiding behind the debris. "Darn it... There must be a way..."

Suddenly, a whistle could be heard. It was a tune that Mega Man recognized. "Proto Man!"

Indeed, the red bomber appeared a few metres away from Sigma, shield slung over his shoulder. "Sorry I was late to the party."

Sigma laughed. "You? The first of them... The prototype. The first of us. What makes you believe you can win?"

"Because I'm fighting for my friends. My family. I barely know them, but... I will defeat you."

Sigma dashed at Proto Man, attacking with his saber. Proto Man responded with a Proto Strike blast attack, sending Sigma sprawling. "Incredible... You have power. Lots of it. But..."

Proto Man suddenly fell onto one knee, groaning in pain. "Dammit... No, don't act up now!"

"An energy system defect. And the fact that you have a nuclear core makes it even worse. I can tell. You won't live much longer."

Proto Man bowed his head. "Doc... Rock... I'm sorry..."

As Sigma went in for the kill, he was suddenly blasted back, a rocket fist to the face doing the trick. Mega Man stood in front of his older brother, having fused with Rush. "You won't harm him. You won't harm anyone, not as long as I'm here! I vowed to protect everyone when I donned this armor, and I won't turn my back on it! Super Adaptor, Ultimate Mode activate!"

Mega Man's armor took on a dark-blue look, with armor plating that looked rather powerful. Zero asked X, "Is that the Ultimate Armor?! What on Earth is Rock doing with that?"

"Rock's right. We can't give up."

X was now wearing the Ultimate Armor, all of a sudden. Vent and Aile nodded, with new inspiration, and activated the dormant Ultimate Armor mode of Model ZX. Sigma looked on, stupefied by this display. "You... The Ultimate Armor..."

"Yes. I only gave the Ultimate Armor to Mega Man and X. I knew for sure that they could wield the power in the name of justice and peace. Vent and Aile have the same cause, and through Model X, they can use it."

Dr. Light stepped onto the scene, with Wily and Ciel right behind him. "Sigma. You lost so many times, because you fought for selfish reasons. Wily has seen the error of his ways, why can't you?"

Sigma laughed. "I don't care what you say. I am the most powerful of reploids!"

A Nova Strike by Mega Man shut him up. With this sudden surprise, Guts Man had hit him with a large piece of debris. "See how you like getting smacked around!"

Sigma tried to rise to his feet, but was splattered with oil from Oil Man, who had slid by. "Like the top-up, Sigma?"

Then, Sigma was hit by Ice Man's Ice Slasher, freezing him in place. "Objective complete! Handing this one to you, Fire Man!"

Fire Man was looking rather 'fired up'. "FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEE! My justice will burn you to a crisp! FIRE STORM!"

"Oh, f-"

Sigma was no longer frozen, but the wave of fire had set the oil alight. Sigma rolled around, swearing loudly. As soon as the flames were out, a bomb landed next to him, blasting him away. Bomb Man laughed. "How's that for some fireworks?"

As Sigma hit a wall, he was kept in place by Elec Man's Thunder Beam. "Not so deadly now, are you?"

Sigma growled, as he pushed off the wall. He was suddenly knocked back by one of Time Man's projectiles. He slashed at the Robot Master, but the Time Slow had made Time Man impossible to hit. "How... Imperfect."

WHAM. The blades of Zero, Neo Zero, Cut Man, Dynamo and Prometheus had sent Sigma crashing through a wall, and damaged. Pandora wacked him with her staff, before stepping aside... To let the Ultimate quad use a quad Nova Strike on Sigma, sending him through several large objects. Sigma, even in his current state, tried to rise, but he saw... Himself. Axl had copied him, and suddenly did a seven hit combo on him.

By the time this was done, Sigma's body was all but heavily damaged. "No... I can't lose... Not this time!"

The Dark Elf floated over him, repairing him slowly. Neo Zero dashed up, but was repelled. Sigma rose to his feet. "Watch, but don't interfere. After all... I hold the lives of all humans an reploids in my hands! With the Dark Elf in my possession... Even the Ultimate Armor is worthless."

Sigma was suddenly slashed by Harpunia, the first of Copy-X's guardians, before being repelled. "Zero! What are you doing? Hurry, stand up!"

Then, Fenfir blasted Sigma with three shots. "Hey! I'm here to get a little payback, Omega! Or Sigma, shall I say?"

Then, Leviathan appeared, striking Sigma three times with her staff, before being repelled. "Time to straighten the record!"

"You guys!"

Harpunia sighed. "Sigma is trying to bluff you. He can't do anything in his current state."

Sigma growled. "Dark Elf. Shut them up."

"Zeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooooooo!"

The Dark Elf suddenly began constantly switching between a 'purified' state, and its dark state. Neo Zero asked, "What is it, Dark Elf?"

Cyber-Elf X suddenly came down. "Her... The Dark Elf's curse is fading..."

Wiel's voice sounded. "Who's that?! X?"

"That's right, Wiel. Just like a century ago. I worked with Zero to defeat this Omega then. And we saved the world from your greedy clutches."

Neo Zero asked, "Just like a century ago?"

"The defeated Omega... Now Sigma, is using your original body. That's all... Your body may be a copy, but your heart is the real thing. All right, now's the time, while the Dark Elf's power is weak. Time to finish what you started a century ago, Zero!"

Wiel was fearful, as Neo Zero rose to his feet. "Zero, don't do it! That's your original body! Don't you feel any attachment? Are you really prepared to spend the rest of your life in that cheap fake?"

Wily scoffed. "Wiel, you do realise who I am, right? I created that bloody body, I can always create a new one for him, if he wants."

Ciel nodded. "You can do it. You know what's truly important. Go on, Zero!"

Zero prepared to slice his original body in two. However, everyone felt something odd. Within seconds, everyone had disappeared.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sudden confusion that came from finding that their surroundings were now a gigantic room with countless Cyber-Elf tubes lining the walls was natural. In the middle of it all, was a huge, intricately-designed object, with a man in a strange green outfit standing in front of it, his back turned to everyone. He suddenly turned back around, his purple eyes and spiked hair becoming more noticeable. Vent and Aile recognized him instantly. "Serpent!"

"You must be wondering why we need so many Cyber-Elves to awaken Model W... Hmph! Children like you could never understand. By the way... Thank you for handing over the Dark Elf."

Zero placed his hand on his saber. "So, you're Serpent. What's with the elves?"

Serpent suddenly raised up the Model W fragment. "Their fright... It becomes the power that drives Model W! Model W, it's time! The despair and fear of this country are yours!"

Suddenly, every glass chamber broke, and a flood of Cyber-Elves were absorbed into Model W. It was a horrific sight. "By joining us, the weak are freed from their suffering! The chosen one, Mega Man, will save the people! That is the glory of Project Haven!"

Suddenly, Model W grabbed the Dark Elf with dark energy tentacles, and absorbed it. Then, Sigma was taken and absorbed as well. Cyber-X growled. "We played straight into Serpent's hands..."

Mega Man asked, "Mega Man will save the people? Where did you get all these Cyber-Elves?"

Serpent smirked. "Ten years ago, people fell victim to a Maverick raid. My company's security force dealt with the Maverick threat and we were welcomed back as heroes. Since then, this country has been plagued by raid after raid and my company has always come to the rescue. I was able to earn the trust of the people, while at the same time, harvest the spirits I needed! This country's history is merely one facet of a greater plan – Project Haven."

Aile angrily replied, "So... You just used the victims of the raids ten years ago, people like my mom, to create the Cyber-Elves!?"

Vent continued. "All of it! Our mom! Boss! Prairie's sister! You're behind all of their losses!"

Serpent argued, "Survival of the fittest! The strong survive while the weak fade away! It's the classic struggle for life! The spirits of the people have given me what I need to obtain the power of Model W! Look at you! You're only able to stand today before me thanks to the power of Model Z absorbed from that red Mega Man! Everything has been leading up to this moment. You and me!"

Zero drew his saber, annoyed. "Okay, that's it. He's going down."

Dr. Light roared, "Serpent! You... You're the worst of them! So much blood being spilled, it's sickening!"

X continued, "All these people, murdered for your own gain! How can you sleep at night? You're more horrible than Wiel and Sigma!"

When Model W finished absorbing, Serpent transformed. The spiky, powerful form of Model W covered his body. "I thought you would realize this... But I was wrong. No matter. Your fear and despair combined with my joy in victory... They shall be the ultimate gift to Model W!"

Suddenly, with a single strike, he was brought down. The combined Nova Strikes of the Ultimate Armor users had brought Serpent to his knees. Serpent laughed. "Gyahahahaha!"

Vent asked, "What's so funny, Serpent?"

"It's just as Prometheus and Pandora said. You are the final key. Right now... You are being controlled by a powerful emotion... Emotion so powerful, it exceeds even mine!"

Serpent raised his arms, and Vent and Aile's transformations were canceled. A strange, dark energy flowed from them, into Model W. Within an instant, Vent and Aile's transformations were suddenly canceled, and a strange energy flowed from them, into Model W. Vent groaned, "Our transformations were canceled! What's... Going on?"

"The emotion driving you now... That emotion is not bravery... It's not born out of some sense of righteousness... It's hate. Your hate for me and everything I've taken from you!"

Serpent rose to his feet, and was slowly grabbed by the strange energies from Model W, and was absorbed into it. "Hahaha! Gyahahahaha! The new age is beginning, right before your eyes... The age of the Mega Man... The destined ruler!"

Axl groaned, "I'm getting a Sigma vibe from this guy..."

Soon enough, he became a huge, clawed monstrosity that was part of Model W. Vent and Aile were beginning to lose hope. Vent groaned, "That would mean... We were the key for awakening Model W? All of the pain... All of the fighting... Was it a mistake?"

Aile spoke, "All that fighting... And all we did was fulfill some madman's destiny!"

Proto Man spoke. "You're wrong. We all have such emotions in us. But that's not what drives us."

Suddenly, all 6 of the Biometals floated around them. Model X went, "Don't give up yet."

Model Z continued, "Your battle is not over."

The Models floated around us. Model H went, "We did not lend you our power just to let you carry out some kind of petty revenge..."

Model F told them, "Beating up someone just because you don't like them is nothing more than the action of a playground bully."

Model L spoke, "Don't give in to the hate. If you fight the flow, you just end up swimming in place."

Model P continued, "Even in the darkest tunnel, there is always a light at the end of it for you to follow."

Model X taught, "Your power is not based on hate. Your real power. Your wellspring of bravery lies within you!"

Model Z concluded, "Look within yourself!"

Dr. Light smiled. "We are all united by one goal. To achieve and preserve peace!"

Vent and Aile activated Model ZX, then their Ultimate Armors, their spirits now raised. Vent spoke, "You're right. We made a promise to you on that day! We said that we will protect the people! All of them!"

Serpent interrupted, "Well, then! If you're so sure of yourself, let's find out which Mega Man is destined to rule the world!"

Aile replied, "We are not interested in ruling the world! Serpent, if you want to be the Mega Man destined to rule to world, then we are the Mega Men that are destined to save it!"

Everyone raised their arms, in one united roar of justice. Serpent was prepared to fight... But he stopped short, as he choked. "Wha... What's happening?"

"Heh... Did you really think this stupid piece of junk could absorb me? The Maverick Wars began with me... And they shall end by my hand!"

Something was tearing through Model W, from the inside. Then, two Omega-like hands came out, tearing through the outside of Model W, and creating a large opening. What emerged, was Sigma. He now once again had his bald head, but his body looked very formidable indeed – a mix of Omega, Zero, and Model W. "Fufufu... Thank YOU, Serpent, for handing over all this power! This time, I will not lose. I promise you that."

Neo Zero asked, "You really love being persistent, don't you?"

"It's one of my qualities. I AM a virus, you know."

Harpunia spoke. "Now that you mention it... Everything that has happened, happened because of you. The Maverick Wars. Neo Arcadia's formation. Even Serpent's actions. Directly, or by consequence, you have caused the events that have forced humans and reploids to suffer.

Fenfir grinned. "I've been wanting to have a crack at the bastard who started it all."

Sigma laughed. "Yes... But even then, events even prior to that have manipulated my actions. Dr. Wily, YOU created the Maverick Virus, and placed it in Zero! Do you deny it?"

Everyone was looking at Wily, who sighed. "Yes, I did. But I erased it, in the Zero I am working on. In my time, the Maverick Virus won't exist. Yours, however... I'd like to tear my alternate a new one. But now, you're the guilty party, Sigma. The virus merged with you. And you've been completely conscious about your decisions, no matter how 'warped' the virus made you. This time, I intend to make sure you are finished off for good. This is the end of the line, Sigma."

Sigma chortled, as he formed a cannon out of both his hands. "Who cares. I will destroy you all!"

X stood his guard. "Mega Man, Vent, Aile! Come over here! This is our last stand!"

The four stood in a line, and X drew his hands back. The other copied. They gathered energy, and... "This, is for all who have suffered because of you! Good people like Iris, Vent and Aile's parents... NOVA HADOUKEN!"

Sigma fired his cannon, as the Mega Men fired back. The two beams clashed. And Sigma was starting to get the upper hand. Suddenly, the others started striking at him from behind, to weaken him, but he was not fazed. "You think those attacks can harm ME?!?"

Then, a miracle occurred. WHAM. Sigma choked, as he was dealt a powerful blow from behind. Bass had just used a Misogi on him. If there was anything that was different about Bass, it was that he was wearing Akuma's gi. He dashed out of the way, before teleporting outta there. "Take him out!"

The Mega Men took the opportunity. They overwhelmed Sigma's beam, and their combined Nova Hadouken was tearing Sigma apart. "Impossible! This is the ultimate-"

Then, Sigma was finished. His body was obliterated. All the Cyber-Elves that had been absorbed, including the Dark Elf, were released from their prison. All was left, was the Sigma Virus. "Bah! I'll be back again!"

However, he spoke too soon. Dr. Wily suddenly produced a strange container, which sucked the virus in. "What?!? Impossible!"

"I created the Maverick Virus, you realize. I know how to contain and destroy it."

With one press of a button, the virus was erased. Sigma roared in frustration, as he was deleted. Suddenly... There was a chuckle. From the remains of Model W, Serpent was still alive. "Impressive... But why do you bother?"

Vent said, "You're just a tool. Model W manipulated you. You've played with lives and you're nothing more than a Maverick!"

"A MAVERICK?!? ME?!? How DARE you call me a Maverick! You're the one stopping progress. You're the one denying change. Maybe you're the Maverick! People and society are destined for change! They must shed their hate-filled hearts and suffering bodies. We must move forward! We must have change!"

"We will not let anyone get stepped on in your road to 'progress!'"

Serpent replied, "On a planet... Life is born... Humans and machines... Waves of war and peace roll on. And in every age, fools like you tries to fight it. You don't want to see anyone get hurt. You want to protect the ones you care about. You don't want to lose anything. By acting on that desire, you continue to make choices that avoid pain. The Mega Men destined to save the world? Unchanging life... A world devoid of the light of hope. What's the point?!? After all... The purpose of the Mega Men, are to fight for the control of Model W! We are all pieces on the board. His board. You have the blood of the man who created Model W in your veins!"

Light shook his head. "Change is not always for the better, Serpent."

Model X interrupted, "Guys! Everything's falling apart! You've got to get out of here!"

As the entire complex crumbled around them, Serpent spoke his last words.

"The destiny of destruction... Still awaits... As long as you have hearts, hate will lurk in the shadows. You who possess the wellspring of emotion known as the heart... You are the true Mavericks!"

A mighty flash surrounded them. Then, they were floating in a white void. Vent spoke to himself, "'We must move forward... We must have change... I couldn't think of anything to say to that..."

Aile groaned, "We... Have his blood..."

Then, a man's voice echoed, as his Cyber-Elf appeared. "Oh, I don't want to hear that from you. Well then, why did you decide to fight?"

Then, the figure of a person who slightly resembled Zero without armor, besides the glasses. "Why? Because you wanted to change the world. Blood is just blood. You decided that you did not want to be a slave to destiny. You are the one that fought to change that destiny. Don't let someone you don't know affect your path. Destiny is derived from the concept of _destine, _or directing one's own path."

Vent and Aile both blinked. "Boss/Giro?!?"

Giro spoke, "You two were a real pain." This confused Vent and Aile, right before he continued, "You two never treated the clients with respect. You ignored me. You were always reckless and ran off on your own. Aile, you always had Vent on his toes, with your antics. Yeah, you definitely a real pain. You drove me crazy, but I always cared about you. Even the times you drove me crazy... Every moment is a precious memory to me."

"Giro..."

"Strip away the hate and the sorrow from our hearts, and what's left? Serpent threw away everything until nothing was left and tried to change the world. Vent. Aile. What will you do?"

Vent sighed. "We'll never get over the grief we feel for your loss or the loss of our mom. But, those memories are proof I am alive. Difficult memories... Sad memories. But we don't want to lose them!"

Aile agreed. "We will protect all of them!"

"Then, it's your turn, Vent, Aile... Guide the world. Bring the world the future you think it deserves. Decide your own destiny. That's my last job request for you, transporters."

Axl blinked. "Okay, what the HELL is going on here?!? Why does that guy look like Zero?!"

Zero shrugged. "Beats me."

Cyber-Elf X floated next to Giro. "Meet Girouette, the man who took Vent and Aile in when their parents were killed 10 years ago. The appearance thing is just a coincidence. I applaud you… You have defeated Sigma and Serpent. True, Weil is still around, but this is a step in the right direction. The Dark Elf's curse is now broken. As for me… My time is almost up. Without a body, I cannot exist for much longer…"

Light interjected. "It doesn't have to be that way. I can build you a new body. Surely, we can preserve you in some way until then?"

Cyber-Elf X smiled. "Thank you… Father…"

"Then it's agreed. You can inhabit the lab's computer system until a new body can be built."

Then, Light faced Proto Man. "Now… Do you still refuse to trust me? I can fix your energy system…"

Proto Man smirked. "Doc… Alright. I guess I was being a bit of an idiot before."

Giro smiled. "Ah, family… Doesn't it bring back memories?"

Then, it all went dark.

------------------------------------------------------------

Back at the resistance base, Zero was outside, thinking to himself. Neo Zero came out, curious. "You've been acting odd ever since the end of the mission. What's on your mind?"

"Why did X have to mention Iris...?"

Neo Zero blinked. "Iris? Who?"

"Oh, right... You don't remember, do you? It's best that you don't..."

Suddenly, memories came flooding back in Nero Zero's mind. The Repliforce Incident. Colonel. Iris. She loved him, and it all ended with her death. "Damn it... Maybe you were right..."

"You can't run from the past, no matter how much you try."

Wily had come out. He suddenly remarked, "Speaking of Iris... The 'Neo X' actually mentioned meeting her Cyber-Elf. Looks like machines have spirits, too..."

Zero was suddenly dashing inside. He wanted-no, NEEDED to know more. He reached the main computer, where X's face was shown. "X! I need to-"

"Know about Iris? Calm down. I talked to her, and Colonel. They both don't blame you for what happened."

Zero suddenly burst into tears. Then, a familiar voice could be heard. "Zero..."

It was as if Zero was dreaming. Iris' figure appeared in front of him, Colonel by her side. "Iris... I'm so sorry..."

Colonel smiled. "Zero, don't blame yourself. If was Sigma who caused all that conflict. That, and General's pride... You were the greatest opponent I ever fought, and I am honored to have met you."

Iris hugged Zero. "I forgive you, Zero... Please, don't let my death stay on your conscience. You have the rest of your life head of you. Do that, for me... I love you."

The two Cyber-Elves flew away, as Zero cleared up his tears. "I'll do that. Thank you!"

Neo Zero placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well... We can move on."

-----------------------------------------------------------

Proto Man lay back on the operating table. Dr. Light stood next to him, assuring, "It will over be fixed by the time you wake up. Of course, we can't keep you active during this procedure, considering the problem itself, and that you have a nuclear reactor inside of you."

Proto Man nodded. "Just do what you have to do, doc. I guess my stubbornness got me into a lot of pain."

Light sighed. "Proto Man, I'm sorry you ended up being unfinished."

"That's okay. It was my fault, I ran away."

Dr. Light turned to Ciel and Wily. "Let's begin the procedure."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Time Man stood at the end of a corridor, thinking. His eyes were shut. However, a voice called out to him. "Time Man?"

Time Man opened his eyes, to see a surprise pair of visitors. Tails and Penny were there, Tails holding a strange device that seemed to have some sort of Chaos Drive in the center. Time Man's eyes narrowed. "I hope this is good, because otherwise, it'll be a waste of my time."

Tails shook his head. "If it was, why would we be here? You're supposedly incomplete as a prototype, but we've figured out a way to make you 'complete'."

Time Man's curiosity arose, despite his doubts. "Me... Complete? I am already perfect, but... Go on."

Penny explained, "Tails once created a 'fake' Chaos Emerald which Sonic used to perform Chaos Control. Using that same technique, we created a Chaos Drive that can be installed into you and will increase your ability to manipulate time even further."

Time Man crossed his arms. "Alright. Let's do it, but be quick about it!"

Soon enough, they emerged from a nearby lab room, Time Man still trying to come to grips with the power that he could feel flowing through him. He decided to test out this new power. With a mere thought, time stopped. Everything was completely still. There wasn't a sound to be heard. Time Man blinked, as he made time reverse slowly, before he forwarded it again back to the original moment. A smile appeared on his face, as time slowly went back to normal. "This... Is perfection. Thank you."

"Oh, don't thank us. Thank your brothers, they suggested the idea!"

Time Man was confused, as the other seven original Robot Masters emerged from around the corner. Guts Man slung his arm around Time Man's shoulder. "Hey, isn't this what you always wanted?"

Elec Man remarked, "We were concerned about your denial that you were a prototype, so we asked Tails and Penny to figure out a solution. Now, your capabilities are absolutely magnificent!"

Time Man didn't speak, for a few seconds. Then, a smile emerged on his face. "I never made time in my schedule for family bonding... Maybe that was my greatest mistake. Thank you all. Elec Man, I think you've almost reversed my opinion of you."

"Oh, that's family for you."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Maverick Hunters? Us?"

Harpunia looked X sternly in the eyes. X nodded. "You always wanted to fight for justice. But since Neo Arcadia is being controlled by Weil, you can't still be the guardians. But you have the opportunity to be S-Class Maverick Hunters..."

Fefir grinned. "Sign me up! Now that we know who we're really supposed to be fighting for, I wanna crack at some Mavericks!"

Leviathan shook her head. "You're always up for causing havoc, Fefnir... Well, I might as well. Shame all the other female Hunters are navigators, though. I have to fight alongside men..."

Harpunia closed his eyes, deep in thought. Then, he opened them. "I accept the offer, as well. I have only ever known fighting for Neo Arcadia. But I realize that my actions have been misguided. At least I get to work with you, as an equal..."

He shook hands with X. X then announced, "I discussed matters with Signas, Ciel and Prairie. The Resistance and the Guardians are now part of the Maverick Hunters, though they will continue to serve their original purposes."

A mighty roar of approval sounded across the complex.

_**To Be Continued**_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

_**Author's Notes: **_Well, that's over and done with. If you want to ask, "Why are Time Man and Oil Man in there?" They were in Mega Man Powered Up, but that was a fantastic remake of the original game, and Keiji Inafune actually designed those two characters himself and planned everything out. Needless to say, I like Time Man a lot.


	16. Villains 1

_**Villains 1**_

_**By Cronosonic**_

_**Author's Notes: **_I felt a separate series of chapters for the villains was appropriate, because they're going to be doing some behind-the-scenes stuff.

------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh, the humiliation..."

Bowser groaned, as he was still sore from the severe beating Super Sonic gave him. Lying on the beach, watching the waves... Kammy hadn't found him, yet. Or at least, not reached him. He had been beated by a hedgehog. A HEDGEHOG. That really riled him up.

"You don't look very well, Bowser."

Bowser looked to the side, to see Ganondorf, on his horse, looking better than he did when Shadow burned him. Bowser rose to his feet, growling. "I think I've had worse beatings before. Darn it… Still, what would you want with me?"

Ganondorf got off his horse. "While I was 'incapacitated', I did some through research. It seems your family line has a hidden power that once brought the Mushroom Kingdom to its knees."

Bowser nodded, crossing his arms. "Ya kidding? I know. I've been trying to gain that power for so long… The curse on our blood, however, I've learned the hard way, cannot be broken through sheer training alone. Despite my searches, I've come up with no way to break it… Once, I was SO CLOSE. The power of the Star Rod gave me the power, in all but form. But I can't believe it… Mario beat me, even with the power that nobody could defeat before!"

"I see. You still had limitations. Well, worry no more, Koopa King!"

The Triforce of Power shone on the back of Ganondorf's hand, as he slammed his palm into Bowser's chest. Bowser choked, as he felt something shatter within. All his life, he had felt the barriers that had held him back. Once, he was so close to destroying them. Now, they were gone. Bowser roared, as his very form expanded, Ganondorf stepping back. Bowser's spikes and teeth sharpened and extended. His form became more intimidating in general. "The Giga transformation… Some in my family believed this was merely a legend, a myth, nothing more… But I feel the power coursing through my veins!"

Bowser suddenly reverted to his normal self. "But, I'd be an idiot to cause a rampage right now. Thanks."

Ganondorf suddenly said, "That is no problem. However, I ask for a favor in return. Chaos Combination are many in number. It would be foolish for me to take them on by myself."

"Say no more! You're gathering villains to crush them, eh? Why didn't you say so? We'll take them to the cleaners, when we get some more allies on our side! So, where are we going next?"

"A place known as… The void. I wish to resurrect someone who may be of help to us."

Something clicked in Bowser's mind, startling him. "The void… You're bringing back DIMENTIO?!? He'll stab us in the back, like he did with Count Bleck!"

"Exactly. That's why I'm putting a leash on him. He won't be able to do anything against us."

Ganondorf suddenly cast a warp spell on the both of them. They found themselves in a dark void, with nothing but each other around. Ganondorf looked around. "I believe this is the correct location. Now, to begin the process."

A magic circle appeared on the ground, which Bowser stepped away from. Ganondorf spoke several lines in a language Bowser didn't understand. The Koopa King was still unsure about the whole shebang, but he decided not to voice any protest. A form emerged from the darkness. A jester-like being, with a surreal figure. The jester chuckled, as he floated in midair. "I thank you both for resurrecting me. Ganondorf of the Gerudo tribe, and… Oh, look at this. One of the 'heroes' of the _Light Prognosticus_ has turned evil… Oh, silly me. You always were."

Bowser growled. "I'm still having doubts about this, you know."

"Excuse us, mind if we intrude?"

Out of the darkness, two more figures approached. The first one was Dr. Breen, with a red crystal hovering around him. The second figure was a ghostly figure, a Japanese man in a lab coat and glasses, with a strange crown on his head. Breen smiled. "Greetings. Of course, I am Dr. Wallace Breen. This is Dr. Fuyuhiko Date, a man I have gained an understanding with."

Dr. Fuyuhiko nodded. "During the City 17 battle, I sought to take Breen as a host. However, we both saw it beneficial for a symbiotic relationship. He allows me to survive, and in return, I give him power… We wish to join your little group."

Ganon chuckled. "You may. It seems our ranks are increasing."

Bowser suddenly interrupted, grinning. "Awesome! So, what are we gonna-"

"We are not going to have a group name, for various reasons… Besides, I tend to find nameless entities to be quite feared."

Breen chuckled. "I concur… I'd prefer not to be part of a group with a stupid-sounding series of initials."

Bowser laughed sheepishly, understanding their point. "Yeah… What WAS I thinking?"

Dimentio interrupted, asking. "Are we going to babble on about trivial matters like a group of politicians? It is time we make our first move. I have something in mind."

He created an image, which showed a powerful-looking Scepter, hidden in a cave, with Jewels studded on the end. "This is the Jeweled Scepter. A weapon of legendary powers, it has been guarded by Blaze the Cat's family for generations. To acquire the Scepter, would be an impressive goal. To acquire the "Power of the Stars" that it can unlock, is even more impressive."

Ganondorf stroked his chin, thinking. "The Jeweled Scepter… I am familiar with the legends associated with it. I have an idea. We need someone to steal the Scepter for us, while we figure out where the 'keyhole' for the power of the stars is. I know someone who can help us with this… Namely, Dr. Eggman Nega."

Breen caught on to the idea. "Ah, so Nega can built us some robot pawns that we can use as distractions…"

"Yes, but we have to get to work. If we dawdle, this plan will fail. We must work as a group in order to achieve our goals. So, let's begin!"

To Be Continued 


	17. Chapter 16: High Seas Adventure!

_**Chapter 16: High-Seas Adventure!**_

"So, we're looking for the Jewelled Scepter, huh?"

Luffy grinned, as he sat on the head of the Thousand Sunny, Sonic standing on his hat. Sonic scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that's what Blaze said…"

He turned around, looking at the strange, animate skeleton that was playing a piano on the Thousand Sunny's grass deck, clothed in black attire. "Um… Who's that skeleton over there, again?"

"That's Brook, he's our new musician! We fought together on Thriller Bark."

Zoro was walking by, noting their conversation. "Not to mention the second Shichibukai Luffy has beaten to date, Gecko Moria…"

"Who?"

The entire Straw Hat crew looked at him, and Nami scratched her head. "Geez, you really don't know ANYTHING about the Grand Line, do you? Look."

All of a sudden, she pulled out photos of Thriller Bark and the various foes the Straw Hats had encountered there. Mostly zombies, really, except for Gecko Moria himself, whom was in the last photo. He looked kinda like a vampire. Sonic jumped down, and took a closer look. "Huh. This "Gecko Moria" doesn't look so tough."

The entire Straw Hat crew collapsed in annoyance. Nico Robin shook her head. "Moria was… Unusual in his style, you could say. He took the shadows of people to create zombies from corpses. He used Luffy's shadow to create the "special zombie", Oz, who is a giant, as you can see in the second last photo…"

Sonic looked, and blinked. "He's big, sure…"

Brook chuckled, which was creepy, considering he was a skeleton. "I wouldn't go underestimating the Shichibukai, if I were you. They're an extremely powerful group."

"Enough talk about pirates, already!"

Blaze walked over, irritated. "It seems we have some new info. This sea may be my kingdom, but it seems it's not as far from the warp as thought. If my sources are correct… This sea is now part of the Grand Line."

"WHAT?!"

Blaze nodded. "After this, you guys can continue on your journey. Annoyingly, though, dealing with the "World Government" is a hassle. I already know about it, the Navy and their questionable ethics, so that isn't making things any easier."

"Oh, who cares? We're going to see Marine!"

Shine suddenly jumped on Blaze's back, giggling, getting a piggy-back ride. Blaze was caught off guard, but she simply smiled at her sister's innocence. Tails asked, "Who's Marine?"

Suddenly, they heard something. Like the sound of a water-jet. Shine hopped off Blaze, and checked over the side of the ship. "That's her!"

Off in the distance, a young raccoon girl was trying to regain control of her water jet. Marine yelled, "LOOK OUT!"

Franky looked, and snapped, "Someone stop her! SHE'LL MAKE A MARK IN THE SHIP AT THIS RATE!"

"I've got it!"

Luffy stretched out his rubber arms, as his feet were held by Zoro and Sanji, grabbing Marine just in time, and knocking the jet away from the ship... And it exploded. Luffy and Marine ended up on the deck of the ship, Luffy simply laughing. Marine sighed. "Well, that version of the SS Marine didn't work out so well..."

Shine rushed up hugging Marine. "Marine! We're back!"

Marine was surprised to see Shine, but she giggled. "What are you and Blaze doing on this ship?"

"Oh, we're here about the Jeweled Scepter!"

Sonic and Tails walked up. Sonic grinned. "Oh, so this is Marine, huh? Nice to meet ya! I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Tails smiled. "Your craft looked neat, but shame it failed. I'm Tails!"

The entire Straw Hat crew introduced themselves. Marine was freaked out a little by Brook, though. Soon enough, the ship docked at the island they were heading for. Marine grinned. "So, pirates are trying to get at the Jeweled Scepter, eh? Let me at 'em! Captain Marine isn't afraid of anything!"

Luffy laughed. "Oh, so you're a captain too, huh?"

Nami and Blaze screamed at the same time, "NO, SHE ISN'T!"

Blaze then explained, "In any case... I know where the Scepter is hidden. I just hope we get there before those pirates do."

--

"Cor! Blimey, this is a dark cave, isn't it?"

In response to this, both Blaze and Shine lit up their hands to get some light. They continued exploring, until they reached an open area, where they could see the Scepter's pedestal, with the Scepter itself on it. It looked extremely well-made, and it had a lot of jewels on it. There was a bunch of robot pirates admiring it, though. Their leader, whom wore a red coat, and he had a large white moustache, laughed. "Ah, yes! Here it is! The Jeweled Scepter is ours!"

"Not if we can help it!"

Blaze leaped right in front of the band of pirates, blocking them off from the Scepter. The captain crossed his arms. "Well, the princess has shown up to protect her treasure, eh? If you don't back off... It'll be to Davy Jones with ya!"

"I suggest YOU back off, because you're outmatched!"

Luffy stepped forward, and the captain turned around, and gasped. "Can it be...? Are these artificial eyes tricking me? I had never expected to encounter the infamous Monkey D Luffy and his Straw-Hat crew!"

Luffy grinned. "The same! Now, who are you?"

"I am Captain Whisker, but I'm afraid I must leave with the Scepter. But I promise you this, Luffy! The next time we meet, we will battle!"

Suddenly, a massive robotic octopus burst out of the water near the pedestal, and knocked Blaze away with one of its tentacles. The others got back in order to avoid them. In the chaos, Whisker grabbed the Scepter, and rushed away with his crew. Luffy tried to pursue him, but the octopus blocked him off. "Darn! He got away!"

Sonic sighed. "Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious, but we've got a bigger problem right now!"

Chopper suddenly noted that one of the tentacles had a large 'bulb' on it. He changed into his 'Heavy Point' form, slamming his fists into the bulb. The octopus shrieked, and Chopper confirmed, "That's his weak point!"

The weak point changed around to another spot, but Franky had it covered, changing his right arm to a cannon, and blasting it. "And he doesn't even bother to hide it! Weapons Right!"

The octopus changed again, but Sanji slammed his foot into it. "This thing won't make even make a good soup!"

Sonic made the finishing blow, which sent the robot crashing to the water's bottom. Marine cheered. "That was brilliant, mates!"

Nami noted, "But Whisker got away! We need to track him down!"

Luffy was already rushing out of the cave, and the others weren't far behind.

--

"Darn it, we've lost him!"

Luffy slammed his fist into the wooden wall of the ship, cursing. Sonic sighed. "Calm down. We can find him!"

"Sonic's right, Luffy. I think I have an idea of where he went..."

Blaze walked up, and Nami confirmed it. "It seems he was heading in the direction of the "White Isle". It's a mysterious place, apparently."

Usopp suddenly noted, "Blaze... Won't the World Government demand answers as to why your country is aiding pirates?"

Blaze smiled. "They won't know. I've made sure of that."

"HOLY COW! Look at the sky!"

Brook's warning made everyone look up. Sure enough, there were a fleet of flying pirate ships. Blaze chuckled. "Oh, good. Looks like we've got someone to take our irritation out on. These pirates have been kidnapping people to fight in their arena for their entertainment."

Marine frowned. "Crickey! That's not very nice!"

Luffy banged his fists together. "Agreed! Let's tear these ships apart!"

Franky dashed down into the hold. "I'll prep the Coup De Burst!"

Sonic asked, "Coup De What?"

BOOM. The ship suddenly went soaring into the sky. Sonic, Tails, Blaze, Shine and Marine were taken off-guard, but they quickly found it exhilarating. Tails offered, "Marine and I will keep the ship going, you guys get up there and do some damage!"

Sonic got up on the side-rail. "Alright, let's do this!"

They all leapt off, just as the ship was about to soar straight over the arena. They landed straight in the center of the arena, shocking the Hyena Pirates that were in the stands. The two young dragons that were about to fight were also taken off guard. The captain had two birds on his shoulders. The red one objected, "What is this madness?!"

Blaze pointed at him, "I am princess Blaze, and you're in my country's airspace, and your all under arrest for kidnapping!"

The others went on the offense, taking out pirates in the stands. The captain made a retreat. Blaze looked at the dragons, one purple, one black. "What are you doing here? Get out of here!"

Suddenly, bombs rained on the ship. A bat-like creature with an ape rider swooped out of the sky, and snatched up the black dragoness. "Hey, let go of me!"

The purple dragon was taken by surprise. "CYNDER!"

The dragonfly-like creature that hovered near him noted, "Let's just do what the lady says and get out of here, okay?"

The dragon suddenly told Blaze, "There's still others being held captive!"

"Well, if you want to help us..."

"I will, princess! I'm Spyro, this is Sparx. As well... We need to find directions to the 'White Isle'..."

Blaze smiled. "Actually, we were heading over there as well. You're free to join us."

The guys re-grouped, and got to work smashing their way through the ship, and rounding up the prisoners onto boats they would be able to escape on. The last boat went off, and Spyro went up to the others. "The moles are off. But we need to find Cynder, she's been-"

Zoro shook his head. "Too late for that, kid. Usopp wasn't able to get a clear shot of the bat that kidnapped her."

Sparx groaned. "Why are we worrying about HER? We've got bigger problems to worry about!"

"I believe so."

The captain had come back, with a platoon of pirates ready to fight. The other bird spoke. "You'll regret messing with us, fool!"

The red bird remarked, "Even though we're up against the Straw Hat Pirates..."

The captain suddenly took the hook off his left arm, to reveal a machine-gun, and then he fired. Luffy took all the shots, which bounced off his rubber body. He dashed forward, and went wild. "Gomu Gomu No Gatling!"

The flurry of punches slammed into the captain, and the other heroes made short work of the other pirates. Luffy quickly finished off the captain with a Gomu Gomu No Bazooka, sending him flying into the distance. Sparx grinned. "Well, that's one heck of a rubber body!"

Spyro chuckled. "Looks like you're not the only wierd one around here."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

They quickly noticed that the entire ship was going down, so they made their way onto boats, and went down to the Thousand Sunny, where Tails and Marine were waiting. As they sailed away, they noted that the pirates were quickly being defeated by the ape assault. Shine giggled. "That was convenient! Those guys are beating up those pirates for us!"

Marine spied Spyro, and her jaw dropped. "WOW! A dragon! And he's an awesome looking fella!"

Spyro and Sparx was properly introduced to everyone. Sparx noted, "Great, we have a bunch of animals, and wacky pirate crew..."

Spyro nodded. "This is great, guys, but... I think it would be faster if me and Sparx flew over there on our own. We're kinda in a hurry."

Sonic smiled. "Understandable. Just wack Whisker if you-Hey! Don't nodd off while I'm speaking! Jeez!"

Indeed, Spyro had spontaneously collapsed, and was unconscious. Everyone gathered to see if he was alright. Sparx groaned. "This is the FOURTH time this has happened!"

Chopper checked up on him. "Fourth? It could be serious. Any other symptoms?"

"Uh... Wha?"

"Nevermind... His heart rate seems to be fine, I don't see anything out of the ordinary... Well, for a dragon, that is."

Robin told him, "Take him to the infirmary. We'll head on to the White Isle."

Blaze suddenly asked Sparx, "By the way, what are you guys looking for?"

"Oh, this guy called the Chronicler..."

Blaze was taken by surprise. "The Chronicler? If that's true, then..."

Sonic asked, "Who?"

"The Chronicler is a dragon of supposedly immeasurable wisdom. I've only heard stories, but if he exists…"

"Another ship is coming in from the starboard side!"

Luffy dashed over to the said side, to see a ship with the Jolly Roger flapping in the wind. On the rigging, was a woman with red hair, dressed in a light red garb, making her look rather experienced in the art of piracy. She was smiling, as she saw Luffy. Her rather generic pirate crew was prepared for a brawl. "Ahoy there! Hand over the Jeweled Scepter, or otherwise-"

"What are you talking about, you crazy woman? We don't have it!"

Blaze stepped over. The woman was visibly surprised. "But… I heard that you, Princess Blaze, were with the Straw Hat pirates and had the Jeweled Scepter!"

Blaze shook her head. "Sorry, but I'm afraid it was taken before we could retrieve it, by one Captain Whisker."

The woman climbed down, and stood on the edge of her ship. "Oh, my apologies, then – why didn't you say so? We encountered the bastard as well, not that long ago."

"So you're NOT going to fight them? Wonderful, can you untie me now, Elaine?"

Sonic noticed a man with blonde hair tied to the mast of the other ship. He wore a blouse with brown vest and red sash, and long brown pants. Elaine motioned for a crew-member to untie him. Sonic recognized him on sight. "Hey, I've seen you before in a dream!"

The man was surprised. "That's odd. Nobody I've ever met for the first time has ever recognized me. I'm Guybrush Threepwood, and this is my wonderful wife, Elaine."

Elaine giggled. Blaze suddenly asked, "Elaine... Elaine Marley, the governess of the Tri-Islands? I didn't know you were a pirate..."

"It's in the blood. My grandfather went looking for a legendary treasure, called "Big Whoop". It was a portal to hell, actually. As the name implied, it was hellishly disappointing. Anyway, after I married Guybrush, and my grandfather finally came back, I was able to go out on the high seas to clean up the mess that a certain land developer made... Anyway, we came here through a portal we found, heard about the Jeweled Scepter, and figured it might help."

"And that's the cutest dragon I've ever seen!"

Guybrush was looking over to the other side, seeing a sleeping Spyro. Elaine rolled her eyes. "Anyway... Wait, you're the Straw Hat Pirates, aren't you? This ship is incredible!"

Luffy grinned. "Yep. Say, wanna go trash Whisker?"

"You didn't even need to ask."

The two ships kept sailing alongside. The higher-ups of each crew were discussing options on how they were going to go about taking down Whisker... Right up until Guybrush interrupted. "Since when did the sky have waves?"

Everyone looked up. The sky looked like the ocean, now! They then noticed that their destination was close-by. As the White Isle closed into view, everyone was looking in awe. The island was one huge set of ruins. The area seemed rather surreal. Guybrush blinked. "This makes Monkey Island look NORMAL!"

"Are we there yet?"

Spyro had just come out from the infirmary. He was quickly introduced to Guybrush and Elaine, before Chopper asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just a series of dreams that have forced me into a sleep. It's nothing to worry about. In fact, it's a good thing. I've been able to re-learn my powers, and learn new information from the Chronicler... And bad news, this time. Cynder... She's been taken prisoner by the apes up on Malefor."

Blaze was shocked. "The mountain of MALEFOR? You're kidding! Those apes have a massive stronghold up there!"

"And there's more to it. The celestial moons have been closing up on an eclipse. And if that happens, it's bad."

Everyone looked up. It had only just occured to them that there were too moons, and as Spyro had said, they looked to be on the verge of an eclipse. "When it occurs, the Night of Eternal Darkness will occur. It'll let the spirits trapped in the mountain walk again, if only for a short time. Still... I need to find the Chronicler!"

They landed on the island, and began exploring the ruins that were in this place. Soon enough, they found themselves to be spectators of a rather spectacular pirate battle. Whisker and his crew were up against a crew of animated skeletons, with a demonic pirate with a fiery beard as their leader. Guybrush blinked. "LeChuck? I thought he was destroyed..."

Elaine shook her head. "Nope. We know he always comes back somehow. Let's just wait for one of them to kill each other, then finish off the victor. Basic tactics, really."

Unfortunately for her, someone wasn't listening. And that someone, Luffy, was rushing towards the battle. Nami roared, "LUFFY, YOU IDIOT! GET BACK HERE!"

Sonic simply rushed after him, grinning. "Don't bother, Nami! Standing around here is boring, anyway!"

Sparx groaned, "You kidding me? You want to fight a demon pirate AND a robot pirate? You're all nuts!"

So the entire group charged, smashing through the forces of both sides. Luffy got to Whisker and LeChuck, whom both noticed him. LeChuck chuckled. "Arr, if it isn't Straw-Hat Luffy! I've been eagerly waiting to face you."

"You'll have to contend with us, however!"

Elaine suddenly came over, Guybrush with her, forcing LeChuck to focus his efforts on them both. This left Luffy against Whisker. Whisker laughed. "I promised fight the next time we met, and I shall keep it. Besides... Who would resist an oppertunity to test their mettle against a man of D?"

Luffy grinned. "This'll be fun, then!"

Whisker unleashed a fire breath attack, which Luffy jumped over, retaliating with a Gomu Gomu No Bazooka. Whisker held up against this strike, and tried to jump up and crush him on the way down. Luffy inflated into a ballon to deflect the attack, and counter with an axe kick, which damaged Whisker a bit. Whisker got up again, and they exchanged blows, going toe-to-toe with their fists. Eventually, Luffy stepped it up a notch, activating his Second Gear. His body began to redden, and he looked like he was giving off steam. Whisker tried an uppercut, but Luffy looked like as if he teleported to dodge it, and... "Gomu Gomu No Storm!"

Whisker was caught off guard by the sheer speed and power of Luffy's storm of punches. Luffy suddenly went for a finishing blow. "Gomu Gomu No Shoryu!"

The incredibly powerful jumping uppercut sent Whisker flying. As he crashed to the ground, he laughed. "You... You win. Wonderful, Luffy!"

Luffy went back to normal, as he requested, "Give us the Jeweled Scepter."

"You won fair and square, but I'm afraid not. If I did... You'd suffer their wrath, savvy? As of such, I cannot let you have it. We must part ways once more, I'm afraid!"

Whisker suddenly took the chance to escape down a tunnel with his crew. Luffy knew there was another problem to deal with – LeChuck. The demon pirate was withstanding a lot of damage. "Come and get me, you weaklings! I'll send you all to Davy Jones' Locker-"

That's when he was hit by a large clump of ice, and frozen solid. Spyro was looking rather happy with himself. Guybrush asked, "Aren't dragons usually supposed to breathe fire?"

"Some are. I'm a purple dragon, so I can use any element possible, I think..."

The group went through the caverns, going after Whisker. However, they ended up going further into the ruin, encountering rather unusual elemental foes, and the occasional odd spoken riddle, until they ended up in a rather odd room, with a door, and a glowing platform. A voice echoed. "Expose your heart to summon ghost... Then face alone what you fear most."

That riddle brought out Sparx's conclusion. "I knew it, this place wants us dead. We should turn back!"

Spyro shook his head. "I have to do this."

He was about to step up on the glowing platform, when Sparx urged, "Oh, sure, expose your heart, and see what happens... Hey, don't leave me behind in this spooky moon temple! With all the whispering walls and the dangerous creatures... They want to make me part of their freak show!"

Zoro remarked, "Even Usopp's not this cowardly!"

The pair had went on, disappearing. Everyone waited a while, until they appeared again. Spyro explained, "I fought an elemental version of Cynder... Her 'adult' form, anyway."

The large wooden door opened, and everyone walked in. It had a huge hourglass in the middle, and the walls were lined with books. Sparx grinned, flying over to the hourglass. "It's a magic wishing lamp! Hello? Genie? You in there?"

Marine was laughing. Spyro looked around. "This incredible! It looks like the entire history of the dragon race is all here."

Nico Robin nodded. "And not just the dragon race's history, either."

"It is. Well, most of it."

Spyro recognized the voice, however, Sparx completely mistook it for the voice of a genie. "Did you hear that? It spoke to me!"

The old, grey dragon walked up to the group. He looked a bit like a wizard. "These records date back to the beginning of time... Nearly."

Blaze asked, "I can assume you're the Chronicler?"

"Yes, it is I. And I have been waiting for you."

Sparx flew over, having realised his mistake. "Well, I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long. We were held up back there, by uh... You know... RIDDLES OF DOOM!"

"It was a necessary evil. I had to be sure. I haven't had any visitors in my solitude, for a thousand years..."

Luffy whistled. "Now, that's old!"

Spyro asked. "You've been here that long?"

"Yes... Well... I have my books. I just watch and listen for things to happen... Then add them to the books of time. You are also written in the books, though your pages are still incomplete."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Just Spyro, or all of us?"

"All of you, actually. You all have rather interesting tales to tell. But for now, we only have enough time for the ones that are relevant to this situation. Also, before you decline, I believe you lost Whisker early in the chase anyway, so there's no point trying to chase him any further."

Sonic noted, "We should know the whole story about Spyro, you know…"

"Yes, quite right. It would make the next tale make more sense. Spyro, I'll you explain to them."

Spyro turned around. "Well… It all started when the apes raided the dragon temple. One of the dragon guardians, Ignitus, rescued my egg, and it ended up in the care of Sparx's parents. I kinda grew thinking I was one of them."

Sparx teased, "Even though I kept calling you fatty!"

"When I first discovered my fire breath, I had to leave home to seek out my origins, and I ran into Ignitus again. I went out on a quest to rescue the other dragon guardians, gaining my powers, and preparing for my inevitable battle with Cynder…"

Tails asked, "But… If Cynder was your enemy back then…"

"Only because she was under the control of the Dark Master. I eventually faced her and defeated her, just as she was opening her master's seal…"

The Chronicler explained, "She nearly succeeded. Had Spyro not defeated her, the Dark Master would have returned in full form. However, he is currently trapped in the Well of Souls in Malefor. As for the Dark Master himself… That is a tale I will tell eventually."

Robin crossed her arms, looking at the nearby books. "So… If Spyro's book is among these… Can we see it?"

"Of course you can. Here it is."

A book floated over to them, and it opened. Images flowed into their minds. The first one, was an ape, with one artificial, green eye, and two swords. "I believe, Spyro, you've seen this hideous creature before…"

Spyro nodded. "But why is he in my book?"

"Because Gaul was the one who orchestrated and lead the raid on the dragon temple... When Ignitus rescued your egg..."

"And when they took Cynder's..."

"Yes. That was most unfortunate... Oh, look! And there's little Sparx-"

Sparx stopped him. "Nobody needs to see that... Ever!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Sparx crossed his arms, and Spyro asked, "Can these books tell the future?"

"In parts... Well, only glimpses of the future, really."

"I want to know what's going to happen to Cynder."

Everyone stopped laughing. The Chronicler sighed. "Spyro, you don't know-"

"Please!"

The Chronicler gave in. "Alright... But be warned, hers is a darker tale."

Another book flew over. "You must understand, that when she was taken by Gaul, she was poisoned and corrupted, forced to do the bidding of the Dark Master. She has spent her whole life in shadow. She knows no other. When the Dark Master returns... She will concede. No-one can resist the temptation... Not even the strongest among us."

Luffy slammed his fists together. "That's a load of crap!"

Zoro shook his head. "Not everyone has a strong a will or as selfless as you, Luffy."

The Chronicler nodded. "Let me tell you another story. There was once a dragon, whose powers were greater than anyone had ever thought or imagined. First, he learned fire... Which was odd, as he was not a fire dragon. Then came ice, earth, then electricity... Is this sounding familiar to you?"

Guybrush noted, "If what Spyro said was true, then this dragon was a purple dragon."

"Exactly. Initially, his growth was encouraged by the elders. But he would not stop... He consumed everything. When he would not stop, he was forced into exile. He built a fortress on the base of the mountain, and created an army... Not of dragons, but of apes. He taught them to use the crystals, the very life source of dragons."

Elaine asked, "To set the record straight, we're talking about the Dark Master, correct?"

"Yes. Eventually, the sheer weight of his malice cracked the very foundation of the mountain, creating a place where the deceased of this world could reside."

Spyro noted, "The Well of Souls…"

"Created by the very monster that seeks to escape it."

Usopp groaned, "Wait a tic, he cracked the mountain with his own MALICE? ACCIDENTALLY? I haven't heard anyone do that before!"

Nami noted, "If purple dragons have the potential to possess such legendary power…"

Spyro objected, "But you said that the spirits could only escape for a short time!"

The Chronicler explained, "Yes, but if there was ever a spirit powerful enough..."

"Then how to we stop it?"

Sonic remarked sarcastically, "Eggman blew up half of one of the moons once with the Eclipse Cannon, maybe we can blow up one?"

"There is no stopping it. It has been written."

Spyro was further confused. "Then why have you called us here? I don't understand!"

"To ride out this storm, where you'll be safe... And live to fight another day."

Luffy shook his head, tipping his hat. "No can do. We can't just sit here and let the Dark Master have his way. Especially not with Cynder."

Spyro asked, "What about the others?"

"I fear the worst for the others…"

"You keep talking about choosing a path. But what about Cynder? She was never given a path of her own! We're going to save her. We're going, and you can't stop us."

The Chronicler sat down. "Then, I won't. But I do not want to see you leave this place stricken with doubt. You will need a clear mind and conscience to withstand the evil in that place."

Spyro noted, "This isn't the path that you would choose for me, but I have to walk my own path, and do what I know is right."

The Chronicler nodded calmly. "So be it. I will show you the way. But the dark hour of the eclipse is near... And haste will be your only ally."

Sparx remarked, "So, just to know why I died... The plan is to march into a place of evil and darkness full of creatures that want to kill us, just to rescue another creature that has already tried to kill us? I'm pumped! Let's do this!"

The Chronicler suddenly chuckled. "Besides… You have another reason to go. Captain Whisker is making his way to the island where the mountain resides. Quite fitting, isn't it, for a D to be around at this time…"

Chopper asked, "Wait, why Luffy?"

"Because, men with the initial of D have been known to be quite legendary, the greatest of them all… Gold Roger himself, or should I say, Gol D. Roger, who actually faced the Dark Master and sealed him away. The Dark Master against the Pirate King… It was an incredible battle."

Luffy grinned. "All the more reason to go. I have a dream to become the Pirate King, and not even the Dark Master will stand in my way!"

Blaze nodded. "I have a responsibility to re-claim the Jewelled Scepter!"

Spyro finished, "And I have a friend I cannot abandon."

"Well said, all of you."

The Chronicler revealed a passage, which the group used to get back to the ships, and they set sail for Malefor…

--

"We're here."

Dark clouds poured over Malefor, as the ships approached the island. The mountain itself had green ooze leaking out its sides. Luffy could see a small base where Whisker was stationed on the shore. "Alright guys… I'll go with Sonic and Blaze over to take on Whisker. We'll be fine. The rest of you guys will storm the fortress."

He faced Zoro, and smiled. "Zoro, as my first mate, I'm giving you the task of defeating Gaul! He's a swordsman, so…"

Zoro nodded, as everyone prepared for the operation. "Can do, captain. Don't get yourself killed out there. The waters are rough, and you could end up sinking."

The two groups separated. The larger group had already smashed through the outer defences of the apes, while Luffy, Sonic and Blaze were making their way over to Whisker's base… Which was composed of a very large platform, and two inactive cannons. Luffy jumped up. "WHISKER! Show yourself!"

Then, a massive machine rose out of the water. It was a red mecha, which lacked legs. Luffy could compare it to the size of Oz, whom had been quite massive. Whisker's voice boomed, "We meet again, Luffy! I hope you find this far more of a challenge!"

Luffy grinned, as he prepared to fight, Sonic and Blaze right behind him. "Oh, it'll be fun…"

The mecha threw a punch with one of its massive fists. All three of them dodged. Sonic and Blaze couldn't reach it, so they checked out the cannons, which looked like they could fire them at the mech. And they could. Perfect. The mecha found itself being hit in the head by both of them.

The mech began keeping Sonic and Blaze busy with missiles, while it concentrated more on Luffy, throwing punches. Luffy kept dodging, and then suddenly began inflating his fist to massive proportions. Both fists slammed into each other… And Luffy won out, slamming the same fist into the head. "Gomu Gomu No Giant Pistol!"

It slammed the mech into the water. The fist deflated, and Luffy instantly changed into a 'chibi' version of himself. "Aw, crud! I kept my Gear Third longer than I should have!"

The other massive fist reached out, and grabbed Luffy, dragging him into the water with it. Luffy choked. With his Devil Fruit powers, he was helpless in the water. However, he noticed that something had slammed into the fingers holding him, and broke him free. He was launched back out the water, and onto a platform. He coughed up some water, before noticing his rescuer.

It was a dolphin! The creature made a flip, before diving back into the water. Luffy smiled. "Thanks!"

The mech rose back out of the water… And then was suddenly smashed to pieces by Super Sonic and Burning Blaze. Whisker fell out of the cockpit, as Blaze snatched up the Jeweled Scepter. "I believe we're taking this, now!"

Luffy grinned. "Now we can go trash those apes!"

--

The other group had made their way to the top of the mountain, and they found themselves in a dark chamber. Zoro and Spyro went in first. As they approached the middle of the room, they noticed a purple beam coming out from a hole in the middle, and going straight up. The torches in the room began lighting up, with the evil laugh of Gaul, whom was sitting on his throne, other apes standing around the room. "Ah, the purple whelping and his new allies… How fitting for you to join us tonight, to witness the dawn of a new age... And the failure of your pathetic race of Dragons!"

Spyro spoke back, "I wouldn't miss it, Gaul."

"Yes, please... Have a seat."

Gaul got up, arming his staff. Zoro dashed out of the way, as a green surge hit Spyro, forcing him on his knees. Gaul laughed. "Foolish dragon, you had no chance!"

Spyro remarked, "I've gotten this far, haven't I?"

Zoro noted, "And I believe he's not alone in this."

"True, you have been quite elusive… But all it took, is your miserable amity for Cynder…"

Sparx suddenly asked Nami, "What's amity?" She proceeded to flick him away.

Gaul smiled. "How tragic… That she would be the one to destroy you!"

Cynder flew over, tackling Spyro. Sparx groaned. "Oh, the nightmare never ends!"

As the two dragons began circling each other, Spyro begged her, "Cynder, you don't need to do this..."

"Just like old times, huh, Spyro?"

Nobody else made a move. Cynder suddenly whispered something to Spyro. "Same as last time – line me up with the staff!"

Spyro nodded, and they got into position. Cynder faked attacking him, and went for Gaul's staff. However, the massive ape grabbed her by the neck, and threw her at a wall, which knocked her out. "This isn't over."

Suddenly, the gem on the staff shattered, having been hit by one of Usopp's projectiles. "I knew she was faking a fight, so I got ready for the right moment!"

Zoro smiled, as he drew his swords, and dashed at Gaul. "Nice job, Usopp! I'll deal with Gaul! STRAW HAT CREW, ATTACK!"

Everyone else went on the offense, attacking the other apes. Gaul growled, as he drew his dual blades, and blocked Zoro's strike. "The swordsman of the Straw Hat crew… Where is your captain?"

"He's taking out the garbage elsewhere. He'd be more suited to fighting the Dark Master, anyway."

Gaul chuckled, as the pair engaged in a fierce duel, blades twirling around, neither giving each other a chance to strike at the other. "Good point. I hear you want to become the world's greatest swordsman. True, I am not on the level of Mihawk, but I am one of the world's greatest swordsmen, and you will have to defeat me in order to get closer to your goal!"

"Sounds good to me."

The two swordsmen fought furiously, techniques clashing and blades creating sparks as they clashed. Neither warrior was even close to giving up. However, Zoro prepared one of his deadliest techniques. "Ashura!"

Gaul was shocked, as he swore Zoro looked as if he had six arms, and three heads – nine blades in total. This time, he stood no chance. Gaul found himself being overwhelmed by the storm of blades, and he fell to his knees, as he had only just felt the sting of the many cuts on his body. "I concede…"

He noticed that Zoro had one of the swords at his throat. The other apes had been beaten to a pulp, and everyone was standing around the pair. Spyro had woken up Cynder, and they walked up, Cynder grinning. "I believe it's over."

"And just in time, too!"

Luffy came charging in, with Sonic and Blaze right behind. Gaul chuckled, as he raised his fists. "So the captain has made his entrance…"

He slammed them onto the floor. The more broken portion of the floor collapsed, sending him and Spyro into a lower chamber. Everyone else had gotten back in time… However, Luffy couldn't stop, and fell in too. He landed, to find Gaul getting up, and Spyro had somehow ended up in the purple beam…

"The eclipse! It's happening!"

Brook pointed to the sky, and everyone looked up. Sure enough, the two moons aligned, and the purple beam got larger. Luffy groaned. "Spyro's in there!"

"I'm… Fine…"

Spyro burst out, his scales completely black, and his pupils almost completely invisible. Gaul prepared the claws that were attached to his arms, and charged. "The Dark Master is returning… And neither of you can do anything about it!"

Luffy side-stepped a swipe, and punched him in the gut. Spyro sent a dark breath at Gaul, taking him by surprise. Luffy used a Gomu Gomu No Storm, forcing the ape on his knees. "Go on, finish me!"

Luffy tipped his hat, and was prepared to leave. "Sorry, but I'm not a killer."

"Hahahaha… Coward…"

Spyro suddenly blasted him again. Luffy stared in shock. "Spyro, what are you doing?!"

Then it occurred to him – it was the power of the Dark Master at work. The Chronicler was right, such influence was corrupting… But before he could do anything, Spyro let out a dark fury that completely obliterated Gaul. He flew out of the chamber, and Luffy jumped up after him.

As Spyro hovered above the hole, Cynder looked in horror. "Oh, no…"

Sonic spoke, "Spyro, buddy! Stop it, already!"

Spyro groaned, as his purple form barely showed again. "I… I can't…"

WHAM. Luffy punched Spyro, sending the young dragon onto the other side, and getting rid of the dark power. Nobody argued with that move, because they all knew there was no other option. Spyro slowly got up. "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop…"

Luffy stepped over, smiling. "Don't go beating yourself up over that, none of us are perfect."

Suddenly, boulders began falling around them. The stronger members of the group began smashing them as they fell. Zoro yelled to Luffy, "Captain, this place is gonna collapse!"

Luffy nodded. "Let's move!"

Spyro shook his head. "Go on without me-HEY!"

Sonic had picked him up, and was running out with the others. "And we don't care! We're not leaving a friend behind!"

The group charged out of the mountain, making their way back to the ships. Just before they could get on board, something burst out of the water, unleashing a huge wave at them. All of them braced the impact. When the wave disappeared, Blaze explained, "The Jewelled Scepter… It's gone!"

"Yes. That was a good show back there, but we have to steal it, as well as the Scepter!"

There was a massive blue mecha, with a design that made it look like a wizard. On the shoulders, were Bowser, Ganondorf, Dimentio, and Breen. The cockpit of the mecha opened, to reveal Eggman Nega. Luffy wasn't surprised. "I take it you're the ones who got Whisker to steal the Scepter?"

Bowser snapped, "How did you figure that out?"

"It was simple, really. He said that we'd incur the wrath of someone if he gave us the Scepter. That gave it away. Now, who are you bozos?"

Bowser roared, "BOZO? How dare you talk back to the King of Koopas, Bowser!"

Ganondorf chuckled. "Straw Hat Luffy… The one destined to be the Pirate King. I too am a king, the king of the Gerudos… And I am also known as the King of Evil. I am Ganondorf."

Dimentio bowed. "You may call me Dimentio."

Breen smirked, as his partner, Dr. Date, appeared next to him. "I am Dr. Wallace Breen, and this is a man we share a symbiotic relationship with, Dr. Fuyuhiko Date."

Dr. Date chuckled. "Greetings."

Nega bowed as well. "And last, but not least, I am Dr. Eggman Nega, and this is the Egg Wizard, the machine designed to harness the power of the Jewelled Scepter… How lovely to meet you, and how nice to see you again, Blaze…"

Blaze hissed at him. "Give back the Scepter!"

"No can do, Blaze. You see, the Scepter is a very important item. It is the key to unlocking the Power of the Stars! And this is the most opportune moment, being the Night of Eternal Darkness… The 'keyhole' is right under this island!"

Spyro objected, "But the Dark Master-"

Ganondorf interrupted him. "The Dark Master, we are perfectly aware of. In fact, even the Dark Master will bow to the Power of the Stars! I'm afraid we cannot stay any longer, since our opportunity is slowly slipping away…"

The Egg Wizard revealed a large cavern that had been hidden in the sand, and hovered down it. The entire group gave chase. At the bottom of the cavern, was a massive chamber, with lava flowing around a huge platform. The Egg Wizard placed the Jewelled Scepter into a slot, which enlarged the Scepter considerably. Nega laughed. "We've done it!"

Not that far away, was that purple beam. Suddenly, the shape of a huge, purple dragon emerged, in a spirit-like form. The other villains got off the Egg Wizard, and Nega grinned. "The Dark Master… You will bow down to our power!"

The Egg Wizard sent a fiery dragon-like wave at the Dark Master, but the Dark Master simply countered, blasting the flames away with a dark breath, and completely tearing a hole in the Egg Wizard. The villains were completely shocked. Bowser groaned, "I thought-"

Dimentio laughed. "The Power of the Stars is good… But the power of the Dark Master, a legendary, is even greater… Just as I suspected."

The Dark Master roared, flapping his ghostly wings. Spyro could barely contain his fear. "The Dark Master… I don't know if I'm ready yet…"

"Hey! Ugly!"

Luffy was walking up to the dragon, fearless as ever. The Dark Master roared at him. _"LUFFY… MONKEY… D…"_

"And you'd better remember it, because that'll be the name of the future Pirate King!"

"_PIRATE KING…? GOLD… ROGER?"_

Luffy suddenly punched the Dark Master in the head with a Gomu Gomu No Pistol. "I'm not Gold Roger, but I'll be as great as him… No, I'll surpass him!"

He then slammed his fist into the ground, going Gear Second. Spyro was shocked. "He knows how powerful the Dark Master is, but he doesn't look scared in the slightest!"

Zoro smiled. "That's Luffy for you. Never backs down from a fight. The only thing that's ever scared him is his grandfather, and with good reason."

The Dark Master swiped his tail at Luffy, who jumped over, and performed an axe kick on the dragon's head. The Dark Master blasted him back, but Luffy simply shook off the attack, and went at him with a Gomu Gomu No Bazooka.

Sonic and Blaze nodded at each other, changing into their Super forms. They rushed at, and slammed into the Dark Master, forcing the dragon off balance. Bowser laughed. "So, if they have the courage to face him down, we're not going down without a fight either!"

Bowser charged at the Dark Master, changing into his Giga form. He slashed the Dark Master with his claws. The dragon wraith retaliated, slashing back and unleashing a wave of fire, which Giga Bowser countered with his own flames. The Dark Master was struck by Luffy's fist, stopping the flow, which allowed Giga Bowser to get his flames over to the Dark Master. The Dark Master roared, as he stumbled back, slamming his tail into the floor. The entire portion of the platform crumbled, and the dragon fell in. Giga Bowser barely made it back onto the platform. But someone else was missing. Super Sonic groaned, "The Dark Master pulled Luffy into the lava with him!"

Ganondorf laughed. "Well, that's one spike out of our backsides – Luffy couldn't have possibly survived, he's been incinerated!"

The Dark Master rose out of the lava, slowly climbing back onto the platform, roaring.

"I'm not finished yet!"

The Dark Master was suddenly forced into the lava again, having been struck in the torso. Luffy suddenly rose out of the lava flow, riding… A dolphin? It was the same dolphin that saved him earlier! The villains were awestruck, the heroes were cheering. Breen asked, "How… How on Earth are you doing that?!"

Luffy grinned, as he began attacking the Dark Master with a Gomu Gomu No Gatling attack. "I had help."

Dimentio was rather amused. "So, the Asterite is helping him…"

The other villains asked, "The WHAT?!"

The Dark Master suddenly rose out of the lava, flapping his wings, and flying over the flow, as Luffy circled him. However, both of them noticed someone walking up to the edge of the platform, whistling. Guybrush was holding a very large bottle. The Dark Master hovered over, and roared at him. Guybrush simply smiled, and drew his sword. "I challenge you to an insult… Uh… Fight!"

The Dark Master looked curious. "_VERY WELL… I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE… WHAT ARE THE RULES TO THIS 'INSULT FIGHT'?"_

"Insult your opponent as you make a move… And in order for me to fight back, I have to make a comeback line!"

The Dark Master nodded… And let loose a stream of fire. _"THIS IS THE __**END **__FOR YOU, YOU PATHETIC BAG OF FLESH!"_

Guybrush nimbly rolled out of the way, and swiped at the Dark Master. "And I've got a little TIP for you. Get the POINT?"

The Dark Master tried to bite Guybrush. _"NO-ONE HAS EVER DRAWN BLOOD FROM ME, AND NEVER WILL!"_

Guybrush jumped back, and slashed, striking his face. "You run THAT fast?"

The Dark Master roared in anger, striking at Guybrush with an ice-bladed tail. _"MY ENEMIES FALL BEFORE THEY SEE ME COMING!"_

Guybrush jumped up onto the ice tail, slid down, and slashed again. "Even BEFORE they smell your breath?"

The Dark Master roared again, knocking Guybrush to the ground, and preparing to unleash a fury. _"YOU… YOU FIGHT LIKE A DAIRY FARMER!"_

"How appropriate. You fight like a cow!"

Guybrush simply sprayed the contents of the bottle on the Dark Master, which caused the wraith to roar in agony, falling into the lava again. Nami roared, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT, GUYBRUSH?!"

Guybrush turned around. "It's just root beer."

Everyone around (Except Elaine) snapped, "ROOT BEER?"

Elaine explained, "Right now, the Dark Master is only in a spirit form. If our past experiences against LeChuck are anything, root beer is practically lethal to ghosts."

Spyro stepped forward. "I can't believe it… You guys are completely fearless, where others would cower in fear against the Dark Master! That's it."

He flew over, as the Dark Master was rising out of the lava again. The two purple dragons looked each other in the eye, and they both unleashed their purple dragon furies. Purple energy clashed between them, but the Dark Master was beginning to win.

That is, until Luffy joined the clash. Luffy began a constant stream of punches on the dark dragon, Super Sonic kept slamming into him, Blaze took the Jewelled Scepter and concentrated the power within it, and hers, into a mighty beam. Others began aiding Spyro's fight in their own ways. Even the villains had no choice but to help. The tide slowly began to turn, and Luffy decided to finish it. He had Guybrush spray him with root beer, and he leapt up at the Dark Master… "GOMU GOMU NO STORM!"

The Dark Master roared, as he was finally overwhelmed, nearly destroyed by the storm of attacks that came his way. The Dark Master flowed away into the darkness, vowing, "_I… WHEN I AM COMPLETE… I WILL GET MY VENGENCE…"_

Spyro landed, looking rather pleased, and looking around at his friends. "Thank you… All of you!"

They noticed that the villains had scarpered. Luffy hopped off the dolphin. "Thanks again, Ecco!"

'Ecco' chirped, as he disappeared into the lava. Zoro asked, "Do you have any clue what just happened?"

"Sorta. I was saved by this unknown being called the 'Asterite'. He gave me the power to survive in lava, though it was kinda temporary. And he was the one who sent Ecco to help, too!"

Sonic rubbed the underside of his nose. "Who cares? We've won, and all's well that ends well! Let's get out of here!"

--

"The Jewelled Scepter is under maximum security, I've sent messages to the other dragons… And I believe you're all ready to go on your own journeys again?"

Blaze raised as eyebrow, as everyone was standing on the dock on Southern Island. Luffy laughed. "I guess so! We've still got more of the Grand Line to cover!"

Elaine nodded. "And we've got to get back to the Tri-Island Area. Apparently, LeChuck is up to no good there again."

Sparx sighed. "Darn, and I was starting to like you guys!"

Spyro chuckled. "I'm sure we'll see each other again."

Sonic asked, "Spyro, why don't you join Chaos Combination? We'll help in case the Dark Master shows up again!"

Cynder giggled. "I'm sure Spyro would love to. I sure would, as thanks for saving me."

Blaze noted, "We're kinda short in the dragon department, anyway."

"Hey! I've done it!"

Marine suddenly sped right past the dock, on her new SS Marine – of course, it looked a lot like her. And it was working! Shine was in awe. "You got it working this time!"

"With Tails' help! Struth, I don't think there's anything he can't make!"

Sonic and Tails walked over to the edge. Marine asked, "What, you're leaving already? Can't you stay a bit longer?"

Sonic shook his head. "Sorry. We've got other business elsewhere. Still, we can come visit when we're not busy."

Tails nodded. "And we can work on other projects then!"

"Well, I hope you do! Life around her is kinda dull compared to what we've just gone through!"

_**To Be Continued**_

--

_**Author's Notes: **_Long time no update, huh? I'm still writing stuff, but NEW ideas flood the board, and, well... It's insane. Seriously.

Also, a while ago, I commissioned a guy I know, Alan Solivan, to draw up some stuff. Some of you might know him as the OMA, a big-time artist on Fireball20XL – he's doing Samurai Pizza Cats: COLD mostly, while he's not drawing commissions. Anyone who checks up on 20XL and/or his Deviantart account will know that he's done three so far. Two more are coming up as we speak, the last one having nothing to do with this fic (You'll see). Anyways, here they are, in order:

Arioso, Shine and Kitty: bignasty4life./art/Cronosonic-Commission-70062588

Trilby and fellow thieves: bignasty4life./art/Cronosonic-Commission-2-89386978

Omega Sigma: bignasty4life./art/Cronosonic-Commission-3-89495832

Trilby and Co: bignasty4life./art/Cronosonic-Commission-4-90589294

Cool, huh? The third one is now the official design for the Sigma form that tears its way out of Model W in chapter 15.

Anyways, I'm actually a quarter-through, or less, of writing the next chapter. It's gonna be awesome. You'll never look at the battle of White Forest from Half-Life 2: Episode 2 the same way ever again.


End file.
